A Road Not Taken
by sablefalls
Summary: The Avatar should always do what is right and good. He wishes he could say that the Avatars have lived up to that ideal. At the very least, he wishes he could say he did. Five years after the war, Aang and Azula cross paths. Aang may bring out the best in Azula but she may not bring out the best in Aang.
1. Chapter 1

It still aches. It has been five years since Azula shot him with lightening and the pain is still there just under the surface. The skin is tight and scarred. He avoids taking off his robes so he can avoid the questions and looks that accompany it.

Iroh's tea shop is quiet for the afternoon. The old man sits across from him contemplating his cup of jasmine tea.

"You look too troubled for one so young."

He supposes he does but there is such an awesome weight of responsibility on his shoulders. The burden should be too much to carry as these things are not to be handled lightly. He looks down at his own cup of tea tracing the wisps of steam with his eyes. They flow gently like the currents in the wind.

He has given up so much to take up the mantle of his position. His childhood was cut short by the weight of the world's problems. His own wants and needs are pushed to the side for that of others. He is not his own man but rather he belongs to the world. It is odd considering he never has felt that he belonged anywhere.

He looks out the open doorway of the shop to the darkened skies beyond the rise of the city walls.

There was a storm coming. He could feel it in the unhealed flesh. The scar tissue serves as a reminder of mistakes and that some mistakes will always be with him. By all rights he should have been dead but her healing touch saved him and brought him back from the brink of death.

He tries to not think about her though. Over the years of war and peace he has become accustomed to dealing with a certain amount of physical pain but the emotional devastation she left in her wake still has the power to make him weak. He is the most powerful being in the world and he is brought to his knees by a girl. He corrects himself..a woman.

"Uncle," he has come to consider Iroh family.

Iroh raises his hand to stop him. "Some things are best discussed after a filling meal and a night of rest. You will stay at my house tonight."

He opens his mouth to protest but Iroh cuts him off again. "You need rest, young Avatar."

The exhaustion he feels washes over him and he nods in agreement very much feeling all 118 years of his age.

* * *

Dreams of ocean blue eyes haunt him at night but the momentary disorientation he feels upon waking in a different place pushes the feelings away. He takes advantage of the stillness in Iroh's house to meditate and center himself.

When he makes his way downstairs to the kitchen, Iroh is waiting for him at a table filled with various dishes and Aang wastes no time filling his plate.

"Thank you, Uncle." Aang says as he finishes the rather large breakfast.

The older man eyes the table, smiling at the now empty dishes. The appetite of a teenage boy is its own force of nature.

"Perhaps now you would like to speak your mind, Aang." He gently encourages.

The Avatar nods solemnly. This was the reason he sought Iroh out in the first place. He was in need of the man's wisdom.

"It's time to rebuild the Air nation." He does not look up from the table and Iroh does not feel the need to comment.

"There are people who are eager to follow the Air nomad way of life and learn the culture." He continues. "One of the temples is already populated and I have been teaching them the customs."

Some of the Earth Kingdom refugees had taken to the idea of the Air Nomad life after they settled in the Northern Air Temple. "But they aren't Airbenders." Aang adds quietly. While the Air Nation is slowly being rebuilt, he is still the last of his kind; a living relic. He is still the last Airbender.

Iroh contemplates his words. "This is a serious endeavor as it will require more of you than anything else."

"The Sages are suggesting I marry and soon." Aang lets out a long sigh. "But there is only one woman I have ever seen myself with." The old feeling of anger at her rejection bubbles up inside of him but he shakes his head to push it away. He can't dwell on the past.

"Is she not open to the idea of being mother to a nation?" Iroh asks partly out of curiosity. He was not privy to what occurred between the two that caused such a rift.

Aang crosses his arms over his chest and stares down moodily at the table. The unspoken answer hangs in the air.

Iroh sighs and for a moment is tempted to point out that Aang reminds him of another moody teenage boy looking to him for advice. He does not think it would be appreciated though so he opts for a decisive answer.

"You are not over her." He states firmly. "And until you are, this will hang over your head. You must decide if you will pursue this woman or if you will lay your feelings to rest to make way for another to take her place in your heart."

He is met with stormy gray eyes. "No one can ever take her place." The words hang heavy in the air. "But she didn't want the same thing." Aang adds in a quieter tone as he looks out the window. He simply does not have the will to fight anymore.

Iroh remains still while Aang thinks it through.

Eventually the younger man's words break the silence, "It's time to put her in the past."

The words don't hold the same sting they use to for him; just an empty space in his heart where she use to be.

* * *

"How much longer is this going to take?" Mai complains.

Katara smiles at the bored tone in the Firelady's voice. "It may go fast; it may go slow." She replies cryptically.

Mai blows out a puff of air moving her bangs out of the way. "Wonderful." She deadpans sarcastically.

"Are you in much pain?" Katara asks seriously.

Mai lies back on the bed. "Do you have something for boredom?"

She lets out a small laugh at her friend's request. "No, but let me know if it gets worse. Do you want me to send your mother back in?"

The look in Mai's eyes is reminiscent of the times it was more than dirty looks that she was throwing Katara's way. "No, thank you."

"I'll just go check in with Zuko." Katara says as she closes the door behind her, leaving Mai with the nurses.

Zuko is in his office and his eyes light up expectantly at her when she walks in.

She holds up her hand to slow him down. "Still in the early stages but she is suffering from extreme boredom."

The Firelord sits back in his chair and lets out an exasperated groan. "How long does it usually take?"

Katara almost laughs at the impatience of the royal couple. "Babies come when they want to, Zuko. She could be in labor for several more hours." The seats in front of his desk are large and comfortable and she sinks into one of them thankfully.

He lets out a small growl as he stands and walks to the window to look at the courtyard below. "Is Mai in much pain?" He asks with his back to her.

"No complaints." Katara doubts Mai would let anyone know she was hurting anyway.

Zuko and Mai asked her to be the midwife for their first born. Her reputation as a healer over the last five years had grown in leaps and bounds and she was now the foremost respected healer in the world. Sometimes she resented it as it seemed people overlooked her fighting abilities but that was her legacy from the war. It was widely known that she saved both the Firelord's life, as well as, the Avatar's life.

The silence in the room stretches between them until she can't take it anymore and moves to join him by the window.

"Are you nervous?" She doesn't look at him but focuses on the courtyard below. Parenthood is such a life changing event.

"Terrified." He replies in a near whisper.

"It'll be okay. Mai's strong." Assurances are all she can offer.

"Azula's escaped." Zuko replies matter of fact.

Katara turns to him in surprise but he doesn't look at her.

"When?"

His face hardens. "Within the last week."

She closes her gaping mouth and turns back to the courtyard. The serene scene seems eerie in light of this news.

"I've ordered extra guards and neither Mai nor the baby will go anywhere without them."

"You think she will try to do something to them?" The thought twists in her stomach.

"Having an heir assures my line." Zuko's voice takes on a bitter edge.

They have all heard the story of how Ozai took the throne from Iroh following the death of his only child Lu Ten. With the birth of the Firelord's child, Azula will have another competitor for the throne.

"Does Mai know?" Her voice is barely a whisper over the sound of her heart hammering in her chest.

"Not many people do. " He shakes his head. "I didn't want to upset her right now."

"I see." She doesn't really. Mai may have his head when she finds out he kept this from her.

"I need the Avatar." Zuko has been slow to voice this part of the plan to his friend. He knows things quickly soured between them but he is at a loss about what his next step should be. With a family now, he fears Azula even more.

Katara closes her eyes at the mention of his title. It only makes sense to turn to Aang for help but the thought of seeing him again fills her with dread. They have not spoken for two years.

"I've sent messengers out to all the Air Temples and most of the major cities." Realistically, on a flying bison he could be anywhere in the world so Zuko has cast a wide net in his search.

"I better go check on Mai." Katara turns her mind back to the matter at hand. "You should stop in and see her soon." She gently orders him.

He turns his golden eyes to her and nods. She leaves the room with a heavy weight.

* * *

During the years after he defeated Ozai the fires of the war still raged. It was never ending as one obscure general after another would gather an army of stragglers and stage a rebellion that Aang and Zuko had to deal with. Once one fire was put out three more took its place. In the last two years it had quieted considerably as Zuko solidified his rule. Aang had finally been able to leave the Fire Nation and focus on the rest of the world.

Right now, he just wants to hide so after leaving Ba Sing Se he takes a lazy path towards the Fire Nation. Appa sets down on Ember Island. If it was good enough to hide them during the war, then it is good enough for him to hide at now. He runs a hand through his short hair. There is a serious downside to having a full body tattoo that is recognized the world over so he has opted to grow his hair out to try to conceal what he can of it.

It has been years since he has been here but it is secluded and right now he just wants to disappear. The house is still the Firelord's but Zuko has not been back since before the war ended._ Those were simpler days_, he thinks wryly.

The house is eerie and something about it sets his nerves on edge. He walks through it carefully checking the rooms but it seems like there is just something at the edge of his senses. On the second floor he pauses to use his Earth bending like Toph taught him to. It is faint but he picks up a heartbeat at the end of the hallway.

He knocks lightly on the door. "Hello?"

There a slight rustle of sound but no response. He waits a beat before easing the door open. The room is empty but he can feel the heartbeat at a faster pace.

"I'm Aang." He says to the empty room. "I'm a friend of the Firelord's." No answer.

Carefully, he makes his way to the closet and slides the door back.

Golden eyes stare up at him.

"Avatar." The all too familiar voice whispers.

She is crouched on the floor of the closet, staring up at him.

"Azula" her name feels foreign on his tongue after so many years. He steps back into a defensive stance, waiting for her attack.

The golden eyes are unwavering as they stare him down. Her lip is crimson with blood.

He relaxes his stance but doesn't step closer to her. "Are you okay?"

A small shake of her head is the only answer she gives.

He should help her even though she is someone that has done her best to hurt him as much as she could.

"I don't want to go back." She whispers to him. He can hear the edge of panic in it.

"I'm not here to take you back. You're hurt. I can help you." She weighs her options. "If you're hungry, I have food." A light shines in her eyes at the mention of food and he holds out his hand to her.

Slowly, she reaches out with her own and takes it, allowing him to gently lead her from the closet. He is unprepared for what he sees though.

Her other arm hangs at an odd angle, clearly broken and bruised, and her clothes, prison issue, are torn and bloodied. Her hand feels frail in his own so he slowly leads her down the stairs to the kitchen.

Once she is seated at the table, he retrieves the food from Appa's saddle. Before he reenters the room he peers around the door. Gone is the regal bearing she always carried herself with; she sits hunched over the table like a broken child. He reprimands himself for thinking badly of her. Everyone deserves a chance, even Azula.

She does not turn to him when he returns but stares absently at the table in front of her.

"All I have is some fruit but tomorrow I can go into the city and get something better."

She quickly grabs up an apple with her good arm and begins to eat. It must have been sometime since she has had food. He retrieves a cup and bends some water into it from the water barrel before placing it in front of her. He takes the seat opposite from her and waits.

Once most of the food is gone and the water emptied she looks up at him.

"Thank you." He realizes the whisper is actually a raspy injured voice. Azula pushes her long black hair away from her neck revealing the bruising on her throat. The imprints look to be the fingers of a man.

"I can heal your injuries." He offers cautiously. Even injured, Azula makes him nervous. The princess always had a cold, methodical way about her that left Aang feeling she was plotting the many different ways to kill him.

She narrows her eyes at him suspiciously.

"The Waterbender's are able to heal and I learned from one of the best." It feels strange referring to Katara when faced with Azula; like it is something sacred that could be tainted by this woman that has been an enemy for so long.

Azula considers his offer before nodding to him. The pain has been nearly blinding and she is ready to be done with it.

He moves closer to her and draws water from the barrel to him. It spins and glows blue in his hands. She has extensive injuries so he starts on what seems to be the worst of them. Gently he places his hands over her broken arm and focuses on mending the bone.

She lets out a hiss of pain as the bone begins to move back in place but soon the sharp ache fades. Azula lets out a small gasp as the arm straightens. The bruising and swelling have faded some. Katara could have done better but it's a start.

"See, it's not that bad." He draws more water to him as he moves to her throat. Aang tries to not consider who could have hurt Azula like this. For so long she has been a figment of his nightmares and he was utterly amazed that it was Katara that defeated her. If anything it had made him love the Water Bender more.

When he removes his hands, she clears her throat and grins when it doesn't hurt.

"Thank you, Avatar." Her voice is stronger than it was before but lacks the edge it had years before.

He can't help but return the smile. "Just call me Aang."

The bloodied lip makes him cringe but he does his best to not show emotion as he does what he can to heal her.

"There. It may be a bit sore still but it will heal faster now."

"I am grateful for your kindness, Aang." His name sounds so strange coming from her.

He gives a small laugh which draws a confused look from her. "I don't think I have ever heard you say my name."

A small smile graces her lips. "I don't think I ever have either."

"Are there more injuries?" He hates asking but he knows that from what he has seen that that won't be the end of it.

"Yes." Azula looks away from him.

Aang nods knowingly. "If they are as bad as what I seen already, then they need to be dealt with right away."

She is resistant to the idea of it but it is the logical course of action.

"It's not like I can go to another healer," She says dryly.

For a moment Aang considers pointing out where she could get top medical care but resists. He really does not feel like dodging lightening right now.

"Come on." He urges her to stand up.

* * *

"How does Azula escape from a prison that is built just for her?" Sokka's voice is laced with irritation.

Zuko grits his teeth. "I wish I knew." The situation is becoming desperate. It has been two weeks since Azula's escape and they are no closer to finding her.

"Obviously, she had help." Mai chimes in from her position on the bed. The baby rests on her chest sleeping contentedly.

They had opted to meet in her room so she could be involved without having to move. Mai had made it clear that she would be included in every step as she had not taken being kept out of the loop well at all.

"Mai's right." Katara agrees. "This isn't something she could do on her own and to even get off that island she would have needed someone else.

"We've been over this." The Firelord's frustration is threatening to boil over. "There aren't any witnesses." The entire staff of the prison had been killed, leaving him uncertain where to start. "By now, Azula could have an army marching towards us."

It had become a common theme over the last several years that rebellion after rebellion had started with the goal of unseating Zuko. Recently it has quieted down and he thought he was just about past that point in his reign.

"What about Aang?" Sokka asks mindful of the looks Katara throws his way, but they are running out of options.

Zuko shakes his head. "Nothing. I've sent messengers to all the Air Temples. Uncle Iroh said he was in Ba Sing Se a few weeks ago."

The room falls silent as they consider the situation.

"Well it seems we can either sit and wait or go out and have a look ourselves." Toph chimes in from her place by the window.

"I think she's right." Sokka agrees. "How about Toph and I take a look around the island and see what we find?"

"Fine." Zuko replies irritability. "If you can find something my people didn't then I would be glad to hear it." He crosses the room to his wife and leans over to kiss her softly. "I'll get things set up for them and come back later."

"I'll be here." Mai replies flippantly. "Not like I can go anywhere else." Mai and the baby have been restricted to her suite which aggravates her to no end as Zuko is concerned about their safety.

He smiles at the bitter edge in her voice as he moves out the doors.

* * *

In all his years Aang never thought he would be sitting on the edge of a bed in which Azula is laying naked. Her back is bare to him with the sheet at her waist.

Slowly he moves his hands over the skin healing the bruises and cuts that mar its surface. He can see her clenching the sheet in her hand from the pain but she doesn't make a noise.

When he removes his hands from her back, the skin is pink and mending.

"How's that feel?"

"Much better." She replies in a quiet voice.

He pauses. "I know there's more."

Azula opens her eyes to look up at him. "It's okay. The worst of it is healed." She gives him a small smile to reassure him.

He knows better.

"Azula, you didn't get these injuries escaping prison. What happened?" The series of fresh wounds over older ones were intentionally inflicted over a period of time by someone trained in the art of torture. It's an all too familiar sight.

She pulls the sheet up to cover her back. "I really don't want to talk about it, Avatar." There is a note of dismissal in the use of his title in her voice as she turns her head away from him.

Part of him wants to argue but he also isn't quite sure he wants the whole story yet. "Okay," he says simply. "If you need anything, I'll be across the hall." He can't shake the feeling that something is just off about her but he can't make her talk. He has to wait her out.

When she doesn't reply, he leaves the room softly closing the door behind him.

He retreats to the room he stayed in before. The large balcony was perfect for his morning meditation sessions. He settles on the familiar bed and stares up at the ceiling. When he came up with the idea to hide at Zuko's house on Ember Island, he never expected that he would have company and never would have dreamed it would be his archenemy of all people.

The easy thing to do would be to take her back to Zuko and let him deal with her but there is something about the situation that doesn't feel right. Azula seems broken and part of him wants to try to fix her. He hopes it isn't the last in a long line of mistakes he has already made over this lifetime.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**While Azula may have mellowed over the years, there are times she has the same predatory air about her that puts him on edge**_

**Author's Note: This was actually my first Avatar fanfiction story. I got distracted one day and churned out 'Of Gods and Men' instead. If you feel that either Aang or Azula are out of character, then I urge you to keep reading and hopefully it will make sense to you and seem rather organic in how it came about. **


	2. Chapter 2

After the door closes, Azula lets out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. It has been difficult to trust but Aang seems so genuine that it is nearly tempting to tell him. For five years her life had consisted of a small room. She spent most of those years chained and sedated. By all rights she should hate the Avatar for her situation but she can't even summon up the strength enough to care.

Two weeks ago, everything had changed. The screams of the prison staff reverberated off the stone walls and there was the acrid smell of smoke in the air. The metallic smell of blood lingered. Men wearing Fire Nation Army uniforms entered her cell and cut her chains. They bound her and blindfolded her. The familiar sting of a needle preceded the drowsy effects of a sedative.

She lost track of time as they kept her sedated while they traveled. When her head finally cleared enough from the drugs and she could get her bearings, it was in a damp, stale cave and she was bound to a metal table. A man wearing a commander's uniform made his demands. As a Princess of the Fire Nation she refused the order of a man who was beneath her. A small table was laid out and various instruments were arranged on it.

Rolling onto her side draws a moan of discomfort from her unhealed injuries. Azula's resolve to not break under the hands of her captors carried a high price. Perhaps she should have let the Avatar heal the rest of her body.

The Avatar is not what she expected. Once she prided herself on her ability to read people but now she feels lost and alone. A small sob catches in her throat and fresh tears fill her eyes.

The world has moved on without her. The boy that was once her greatest enemy is now a man offering her healing. Her banished brother holds the crown that was to be hers. Old friends have found rich reward in their treachery. And what is she left with? She is a princess lost and fallen; fallen so far she isn't sure which way is up anymore.

Eventually she cries herself into a troubled sleep.

* * *

A few hours later Aang is woken from his sleep by Azula's scream. Quickly he scrambles across the hall. He opens the door without hesitation but instead of the midnight attacker he expects, he sees only Azula, huddled in the middle of the bed crying.

"Azula?" He asks cautiously, eyes searching the room for what has alarmed her. Approaching the bed slowly, he reaches out to gently touch her arm. "What is it?"

She shakes her head and only cries harder. He has dealt with many difficult things over the years but a woman in tears still has a way of making him feel uncomfortable. When that person is the cold, calculating Azula the feeling is magnified ten-fold.

Taking a chance, he sits on the edge of the bed to wait her out.

"Was it a bad dream?"

Lifting her head to wipe at her tear stained cheeks, she says, "I couldn't stop him." There is anguish in her voice as she admits her failure. Azula has had a great deal of practice overcoming uneven odds in a fight but this was one she couldn't win. In the end the commander got what he wanted.

Catching the dark meaning in her words, Aang draws in a deep breath and holds it. It would not do well to let anger get the better of him right now. No matter what Azula has done in the past, he feels a sense of compassion for her. He lets the breath out slowly.

When he doesn't respond, she plows ahead. "I should have been able too, but I was too weak" A fresh round of tears begin to fall.

"You're safe now." He tries to reassure her. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

She looks up at him, her golden eyes are rimmed red from crying. "Really?" There is caution in her voice like she can't quite believe it. "Even after everything that I did?"

"Yes." He is surprised by the conviction he feels to protect her. "I forgive you for the past."

She protests. "I shot you with lightening. I tried to kill you."

"Actually, you succeeded." He admits solemnly.

She blinks at him trying to comprehend what he has said. "I killed you?"

"Yes but I got better." Talking about his short death is a bit unsettling, even now so he tries to make light of it.

The look of shock in her eyes shines clear. "Oh." Once the thought would have brought her a perverse sense of joy and accomplishment but all she can feel now is a sick feeling in her stomach.

"No, really, it's okay. I survived and learned a very important lesson from it." Realizing how close he came to permanently ending the Avatar cycle with his rash actions has taught him to be more considerate of the consequences.

Something inside of her breaks and her shoulders shake as she sobs. He's not sure what else to say so he does the only thing he can do and that is to hug her. Her tears are soaking his shoulder and she wraps her arms around him. Her sharp nails dig into his bare skin but he grits his teeth against the pain. He focuses instead on rubbing soothing circles on her bare back instead.

When she quiets down and her hold on him relaxes, he speaks, "You didn't escape from prison did you?"

When she doesn't answer he thinks perhaps she has cried herself to sleep but soon she draws in a shuddering breath.

"No."

The pieces are falling into place but the picture isn't pretty.

"Tell me about it." He urges her.

She tightens her arms around him pressing more fully against him but he tries to not think that they are only separated by a thin sheet. One of her hands comes to rest on the back of his neck, absently playing with the short hair there. He represses a shiver at her touch.

"I didn't escape from prison. I was kidnapped by some low level lackey in my father's army who thought he could use me to get to the throne." Her voice drips with disgust. "He thought he could marry me and force Zuko into an Agni Kai for the crown."

She shifts against him to wipe her cheek with one hand but refusing to let go of her hold on the Avatar. There is something comforting about his arms around her. Azula has never been one to seek comfort through touch but she can see the merit in it now.

"Of course I refused but he had his ways of convincing me." It comes out in a rushed breath. For days she had been systematically beaten and tortured to the point she lost consciousness. In the end she prayed for death but the talent of a Fire Nation interrogator is to keep the subject alive until she breaks. Azula was in the hands of one of the best.

She turns her head pressing against his neck as she let out a sigh. He is warm and solid against her. "When I had my chance, I took it." The mistake of one sloppy guard had given her the opening she needed to slip away. It had been slow going with her injuries."I can't go back to prison. They'll find me again." Her voice is a plea, whispered against his skin.

He closes his eyes as he runs through all the ways this could go wrong. "I won't make you go back."

She relaxes against him and breaths a thank you over his skin.

The silence in the night stretches and he can feel the day wearing on him.

"Do you think you can go back to sleep now?"

"I think so." Reluctantly she lets him go and lies back on the bed pulling the sheet with her.

He moves to leave but she catches his arm.

"Could you maybe stay a bit until I fall asleep?" There is a tremble in her hand and a foreign look of fear in her eyes.

"Of course." He takes the extra pillow and lies on the floor next to the bed.

She moves to the edge closest to him. "Thank you, Avatar." The sleepiness is evident in her voice.

"You're welcome, Princess."

The rhythm of her breathing evens out and she quickly falls to sleep. For a long time, he listens to the steady beat of her heart as it gently lulls him to sleep as well.

* * *

The prison is a small island off the coast but the high cliffs and choppy waters are enough to put one off escaping.

The landscape is barren, rocky and unforgiving.

"What a depressing place." Sokka observes.

Toph digs her toes into the sand on the beach. "Glad I'm blind."

What was once a building meant to house an insane Fire Nation Princess is reduced to rubble. The outside walls are scorched and broken. They pick their way over the debris and Sokka tries to ignore the blood stains as they make their way to her cell.

The door has been ripped from the hinges but inside the walls are free from scorch marks.

"Azula didn't break herself out." Sokka observes looking at the room. Heavy chains hang from the ceiling but they are cut open rather than heated.

"She must have been working with someone on the outside then."

Sokka looks around the room. "How could she though if everyone here was killed? It wouldn't do well to kill your help would it?"

Toph frowns at him. "This is bat-crazy Azula we're talking about."

"True." He sees the wisdom in her words.

They pick through the rest of the room finding nothing of value.

"Guess this was a wasted trip." Sokka says as he leaves the room.

"Well, not all field trips are fun." The Earth Bender quips as she follows.

* * *

It seems that no matter how tired Aang is that he always rises with the sun. The chirping of the birds greets him as he sits up.

Azula is curled in the bed with her hands tucked under her chin like a child. The sheet has moved to reveal part of her leg that is riddled with more bruising. The skin is broken in many places.

He clenches his jaw at the sight. No one deserves that sort of violation. Later he will encourage her to let him heal the rest of her body. For now, he leaves her to sleep though and crosses back to his own room. Taking his place on the balcony he easily slips into a meditative state.

Normally, he is alone with his own thoughts when he meditates but from time to time one of the spirits or his past lives makes an appearance.

_"Roku."_

_"Aang," the Fire Bender nods to him in greeting. "I see you have company."_

_"Azula has been hurt but I'm trying to help her."_

_The older man makes a small noise. "My granddaughter is a troubled one and I worry for her."_

_"She has been through a great deal lately." Aang isn't sure how much Roku knows but is reluctant to volunteer more._

_"That she has. Her soul is fractured and it has been for some time. You can help her heal if you are willing."_

_"Of course, I don't want to see her suffer."_

_Roku smiles at him. The present Avatar is such a gentle soul."The power to bend the energy of another can be used to heal when that energy is broken."_

"Roku?" Aang opens his eyes to see the balcony come into view.

"You were talking to Avatar Roku?" comes a soft voice from the woman seated beside him.

Startled he turns to her, "Azula?"

She is wrapped in a robe that must have once belonged to her mother.

A small smile graces her full lips. "I thought I would wait." Being alone doesn't sit well with her anymore.

"It's okay." After two years of traveling on his own he isn't accustomed to having anyone around but in a way he has missed the company.

"I brought you what's left of the food." A bowl of fruit sits in front of him

"Thanks"

As he leans toward the bowl, her eyes are drawn to the scar on his back. She can't resist reaching out to trace the broken edges. "Does it hurt still?"

Her fingers are cool against his skin, which seems so out of place to the Fire Nation Princess. It is another symptom of her imbalance.

"Yes, it does." His voice is gentle. It wouldn't do well to spare her the consequences of her own actions.

She pulls her hand back and hugs her knees to her chest. "How can you forgive me for that?" There is a sense of awe and disbelief in her voice.

"You were doing what you thought you should do. Just like I was doing what I thought I should do." There is a slightly bitter edge to the last part. The rash decision he made to leave before he mastered the Avatar State draws bad feelings to the surface. He put everything in jeopardy. Katara had to save him and the Avatar cycle.

The subject carries a weight he doesn't want to bear today so Aang changes the subject.

"There's something I want to try, if you will let me."

"Oh?" she looks at him expectantly.

"I want to do another healing session; this time on your soul."

"You can do that?" She is skeptical.

"Well, I've never tried it but I've done something similar before." Evasiveness is second nature to an Air Bender.

Catching the meaning in his words, she directs her gaze onto the ocean. "You mean like you did with my father."

He can't tell if she is angry with him or just considering the implications.

"Similar but different." He is careful with his words. "Roku asked me too." He adds her own great grandfather's part in this.

This gets her attention and the golden eyes flash at him. "He did?"

When he nods, she falls silent in contemplation.

"I will allow it." It is a begrudging permission.

* * *

Her nerves are on edge but this is not a feeling she is accustomed to. His hand is warm as he places it on her forehead and suddenly she feels herself falling. His presence is in her mind and it seems he is searching for something. All she has are impressions but she can tell the moment he finds what he is looking for. His unbridled joy shines through and is nearly blinding.

Being in the mind of another person is a very surreal experience and Aang has only ever done it one other time before. Ozai's mind had been dark and frightening but Azula's is just disconcerting. Sharp lines are broken and blurred. He has the impression that he is standing amongst the ruins of something once truly awe-inspiring.

She is there as a distant observer, watching as he finally finds what he is looking for. It is clear she doesn't know what is happening though.

The breaks are evident and he sets to work pulling the torn seams back together slowly knitting it until it is smoothed. It isn't perfect but it is a start to build on.

When he breaks contact with her mind, she falls limply against him. Gently he lays her down on the bed, smoothing her hair back. Her face is peaceful but Aang knows the road before them both is a long one.

* * *

Her eyes light up at the plates of food in front of her, bringing a smile to his face. She sits across the table from him dressed in an older style Fire Nation outfit he suspects also belonged to her mother.

The hungry woman wastes no time filling her plate with Fire Nation meats. Being a vegetarian he is content to leave her to it.

"I haven't had Komodo Chicken in years!" The enthusiasm is infectious and is so unlike his memories of her. It's a rare glimpse into the more light-hearted girl she could have been.

"I'm glad I chose well." It is a reserved and humbled response. It had been a bit overwhelming to pick from all the meat dishes in the market, so he went with what he thought Sokka or Zuko would pick.

"That you did, Avatar!" She punctuates the words with a leg of meat cheerfully, before viciously biting into the flesh.

While Azula may have mellowed over the years, there are times she has the same predatory air about her that puts him on edge. He has been here for four days now. Four days of alternating outbursts of anger and affection.

One moment she is trailing his every step afraid to be alone but the next she is hostile and making demands.

There is the occasional thrown object.

Roku assures him that this is a sign that she trusts him and that his presence is helping her. He is slowly becoming convinced that his past self is dealing with issues of self-loathing which leads to giving Aang such terrible advice. At least she let him heal the rest of her injuries.

If this is what she is like with a healed soul, he can't imagine what it would have been otherwise. Azula is finding her way and dealing with her past. He really is trying to be compassionate but at the same time he is thankful for his Air Bending agility.

For all the ups and downs, he has to admit that it is nice not to be alone day in and day out with just Appa and Momo. In her moments of lucidity she is a brilliant and challenging conversationalist but that same sharp wit can be used to tear him to shreds if she decides too. No wonder Zuko was as awkward as he was when he first joined them.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**For a moment he hesitates internally debating his next step. Some battles are meant to be fought but Aang is tired of fighting. The Air Nomads had taught peace and harmony and to flow like the currents of the wind.**_


	3. Chapter 3

The moon is full that night which pulls at the Water Bender in him. He feels compelled on these nights to stay up and bend water in Yue's light. Sometimes the spirit graces him with her presence, watching him with sad eyes. He doesn't share this information with anyone, especially Sokka. The look in the older man's eyes when he stares up at the sky is heartbreaking enough. Aang is glad that Suki is not the jealous type and has come to accept her husband's past.

Tonight he stands shirtless waist-deep in the cool ocean moving the water in complicated twists and arcs. Soon he becomes aware that he is not alone. Her golden eyes are watching as she waits on the beach.

He turns away from her not ready to break his link with the water. These nights are ones that he feels his loss the greatest. Water Bending had been their connection and every full moon for four years was spent with Katara half naked in the nearest body of water they could find and as they grew older their Water Bending would turn into a passion that threatened to consume them both. Often Sokka would give them measured looks the next morning when they were far too tired for the next day's plans. He was surprisingly quiet in respect to the development of their physical relationship.

The first full moon after he left Katara was the hardest. He couldn't deny the pull it had on him and was still drawn towards the water. That was the first time Yue joined him. The spirit must have sensed his pain and was seeking to lessen it with her presence. She didn't speak words but her eyes spoke volumes. It had been refreshing and tragic all the same.

Azula shifts uncomfortably on the sand. The temperature is low tonight and she can't shake the chill. This was never a problem for her before as a Fire Bender can generate her own heat. It's just something else she has lost. The light of the moon shines a silver light on the beach, highlighting the water flowing in the air and the pale skin of the man in control of it. Her avid eyes take in the fluid motion of muscles in his arm and back. She begins to feel a bit warmer.

The nightmares have lessened but she still doesn't find her rest. More than once she has sought him out in the middle of the night. Even half asleep, he is a comfort to her as she drags him back to her room to take up his post on the floor. The lack of sleep wears on him but the Air Bender never complains. He always rises with the sun to meditate and she waits patiently for him to finish before they share a breakfast.

Tonight he wasn't in his room but the splashing of water drew her to him. Never before has she seen Water Bending that wasn't during a fight. It is gentle and has a rhythmic lull to it that she finds peaceful. She can tell the moment he notices her but he turns away. It is rare for her to be ignored but instead of feeling angry she feels anxious.

Eventually, he lowers his arms and the water crashes back into the ocean. She can see his back is glistening with water as he looks up at the moon. His tattoo has an unnatural glow to it.

"Azula, come here." His voice carries well over the ocean waves. It is not necessarily a friendly voice but rather one of authority.

She is tempted to deny him the ability to order her around but curiosity wins out and she wades into the cold ocean. Aang doesn't look at her so she stops beside him and looks up at the moon as well. They stand in silence as they are gently buffeted by the waves.

The temperature of the water is biting and she unsuccessfully suppresses a shiver. Absently he reaches out to take her hand, threading his fingers through hers, and she gasps to feel how warm it is.

"Why aren't you using your Fire Bending to stay warm?" His voice is quiet.

She looks over at him. His face is still turned upwards into the moonlight which only serves to highlight the strong line of his jaw. He is very much feelings his role of Avatar tonight.

"I lost my bending." Her voice is absent of emotion. She pulls her shroud of royal distance around her.

His gray eyes catch her golden ones. "When?" There is a light in his eyes that she finds mesmerizing.

She shrugs nonchalantly. "Hard to tell." Every precaution had been taken in prison to keep her from Fire Bending and when she was kidnapped they had continued the same precautions.

The Avatar's gaze is intense as he considers this information and she feels a sense of pride that she doesn't look away. Soon she feels the heat from his hand travel up her arm and the chill of the water begins to lessen.

The consideration he shows her brings a warmth of a different sort. These are not feelings she is familiar with so she turns her eyes back to the moon. "Thank you, Avatar."

"You're Welcome, Princess." The title feels out of place but it still gives her a thrill, especially coming from him.

Eventually, he leads her back to shore. The late hour and the cold have taken their toll so she tiredly sinks to the sand. He lies down beside her not taking his eyes off the night sky.

"Is it true about the moon spirit being a Water Tribe Princess?" If she weren't watching she would have missed the way his breath catches. He is slow to reply though.

"Her name is Yue." He isn't keen to talk right now so he keeps his answer short.

Perhaps he should explain to Azula that the full moon is a special, almost sacred, time for him and more than anything he wants to just wallow in his grief. It's not her fault though so he bites his tongue and resists the urge to take it out on her.

She stretches out in the sand beside him and falls silent. He prays she has fallen asleep and he can be left alone.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" There is a softness in her voice that catches him off guard.

"Who?" He forgets sometimes how astute Azula can be.

"That Water Tribe girl."

There are times when the pain is too raw to be dealt with and he has to retreat to keep from saying or doing something he will regret but her words hold no resentment in them so he draws a deep breath.

When he doesn't answer, she realizes her mistake. Azula pushes herself up to look over at him.

"That was wrong of me to ask." It's not an apology exactly but it is so unlike the girl he remembers from his youth.

"Don't worry about it." He closes his eyes so he doesn't have to look at her.

When it is apparent that nothing more is forthcoming, she lies back down on the sand and stares upward.

"Katara." His voice breaks her out of her trance. His gray eyes are focused upward again and she can see a muscle working in his jaw.

"What happened?" It may be unwise to push for more but trust goes both ways. If she can let him in, then he can afford to let her in too. So she watches and waits.

With a resigned sigh, he turns to face her. His gray eyes carry a weight in them that should be beyond his years. "She ended it. There isn't more to tell than that." It is a careless answer and she can tell he is trying to disguise just how deeply it has affected him. The truth is in his eyes and she almost smiles when she sees the opening. Perhaps she can draw him out of his bad mood after all.

"Why would she do that?" She offers a small challenge to his resignation. It really does escape her how Katara could reject him. He is the most powerful man in the world and if Azula is honest with herself, he is also one of the most attractive ones. It's more than that though. For the last four days he has shown her a level of caring and kindness that not even her family and friends had shown.

There is compassion in her eyes that wasn't there before and it almost makes him want to laugh at the irony that it is this woman of all people seeking to console him about a lost love.

"I think she was afraid of me...of the Avatar." Katara had not used those exact words but he could tell that he scared her at times.

Azula's laughter is melodic as it fills the night air. The sound strikes a crack in the somber mood he has been feeling tonight.

This time he rises up on one arm to look at her. "What's so funny about that?" He represses the urge to join her.

She wipes tears from her eyes as she draws in a deep breath to steady herself, but fails and descends into laughter again.

"Now that's just harsh." He admonishes but ruins the effect with a smile. Aang was never one to take himself too seriously and her obvious amusement draws out a side of him that has been dormant for too long.

Finally, she quiets down and bright golden eyes look up at him.

Azula's expression sobers a bit. "Even when you and I were enemies, I was never afraid of you." He raises his eyebrows at her. "I knew you wouldn't actually hurt me even if I was trying to hurt you." The softness in her voice is honest and he can hear the regret in her words.

"You didn't see me at my worst." Azula never bore the brunt of the Avatar State. His rage and anger at those times still disturb him at night. It is both wonderful and awful to wield such power.

Gently she reaches up to touch his face, softly brushing his black bangs back. "You still wouldn't have hurt me." There is a slight tremor in her hand as her touch becomes a caress.

Her faith in him is unnerving and he isn't sure how to respond. Before he can formulate a response, he feels her soft lips against his.

It is impulse to kiss him but she is not usually one to give into impulses. Everything was always carefully and methodically planned to the last detail and in the end her plans failed. There is something in the air tonight that drives her to be more reckless.

Temporarily shocked he doesn't respond but the eagerness of her lips soon encourages him. His hand slides into her long unbound hair as he takes control of the kiss, deepening it. Her hands move up his arms tracing the lines of muscles honed by years of bending. Pulling back, he draws in a shaky breath. He considers for a moment that he is in too deep.

"Azula," his eyes are drawn to her red lips, "We can't." Even while he says the words, he doesn't feel the conviction behind them.

Her only reply is to lean forward to capture his lips with her own again. Impatiently she pulls at him, moving closer until she is nearly under him.

His resistance is weakening but he manages to break away and push himself back creating some distance between them. Closing his eyes against the alluring sight she presents, he attempts to clear his head.

Azula's hands are quick and nimble as they find their way over his shoulders and down his chest, exploring and searching for something more. She leans forward to nip at his neck and it is nearly his undoing. Gritting his teeth, he manages to capture both her hands with his and push them above her head.

"This is a bad idea." He tries to reason with her but instead she wraps her legs around his waist and rolls them so she is on top. Five years of imprisonment have done little to reduce her physical prowess.

"I know what I'm doing Avatar." There is confidence in her voice but her eyes are wide and wild.

"I don't think you do, Princess." He reaches up to take hold of her face tenderly in his hands. "This isn't what you really want." His voice softens. "It's just the moon getting to you, like it's getting to me." The full moon has always heightened the sheer physical need he feels for another person and usually he is able to control it. Tonight, though, he can feel his self control slipping.

Azula is obviously feeling it as well. She lets out a soft growl as she pushes her hips down onto his, feeling his body's response to her own.

"How can that be?" She is breathless as she leans over him, pressing her ample breasts against him. "I'm not a Water Bender." The desire is coloring her voice, dropping it to a heated tone that lures him in.

He drops his head to the sand, putting distance between them as he fights the urge to give in. Unable to reach his lips, she settles for his throat.

His eyes snap open as her lips find a sensitive spot on his neck. Above them, he can see the smiling face of the Water Tribe Princess.

"Yue."

"Hmm" Azula hums against his throat as she licks and nibbles.

"Yue is up to something." The explanation falls away into a low moan as her hands work their way down. Just in time he manages to capture them again. Quickly he sits up and wraps his arms around her holding her still.

"Azula, we have to stop before it goes too far." He can barely hear his own voice over the rushing sound of blood in his ears. He tries to ignore how her robe has come open, revealing a line of tempting curves.

Her only answer is to kiss him again. Her lips are intoxicating but it comes back to him again that this isn't right. He turns his head and softly pushes her off of him as he stands.

Moving quickly out of her grasping hands, he puts distance between them as she regards him warily. Their ragged breathing disrupts the night air.

Yue is laughing.

"I'm supposed to be helping you. This isn't going to help either one of us." He's not sure who he is trying to convince anymore. There is a hunger in her eyes that disagrees with him so he takes another step back from her.

"Good Night, Azula." He states firmly as he retreats into the house, leaving her kneeling on the beach, her robe showing far more than he trusts himself to see right now.

Inside his room, he leans heavily against the balcony railing glaring at the moon. The fever is still in his blood and he's doing his best to fight it.

His senses are sharp and with his Earth Bending he can feel her every move. Her footsteps are quiet but the feel of her pounding heart is practically vibrating the floor as she draws closer.

"Go back to your room." It's a losing battle but he orders her with as much authority as he can summon with the moon's effect so intense.

"I don't want too." Her voice is a low purr and Aang has the feeling she is hunting him tonight.

With a resigned sigh he turns to face her. "This isn't going to make things better." It's a simple statement that should be enough to dissuade her if she were in her right mind.

"I feel better than I have in years." There is a boldness in her voice that has been absent since the war ended and a new light shines in her eyes. "And I think you do too." Azula has a way of seeing the truth in a situation.

He can't deny it so he stares her down with stormy, gray eyes. Interpreting his silence as agreement, she slides in closer. He can feel the heat radiate from her body as she presses her soft curves against him. Gently she cups his face and draws him down to her lips.

For a moment he hesitates internally debating his next step. Some battles are meant to be fought but Aang is tired of fighting. The Air Nomads had taught peace and harmony and to flow like the currents of the wind.

Azula is a true force of nature to contend with and he feels swallowed up by her. So he does the only thing left to do and that is to surrender.

_**Next Chapter:**_

_**"Be careful, young Avatar, that you are not blinded by your feelings. Emotional attachments often blur the line between duty and desire." **_


	4. Chapter 4

The night's events combined with the full moon make it impossible for Aang to sleep. Azula is curled into his side after having finally exhausted them both. He envies her ability to sleep now. Absently he runs his finger over the arm weighing his chest down as he contemplates the ceiling. There should be feelings of guilt but all he finds is contentment and a sort of peace that has eluded him for two years.

He considers slipping into the spirit world to speak to Yue directly. The sense of companionship he has developed with the moon spirit has kept him grounded during the full moons but he is uncertain what her purpose was behind this. It doesn't fit with the woman he knew for her to manipulate two people like this. As the Avatar he should have been able to resist the spirit's influence but maybe he is just as lost as Azula.

The sunrise is marked by birdsong, so he quietly slips out of bed careful to not wake his companion. He assumes his customary position on the balcony. As he expected, Roku is waiting for him.

The other man's gaze is difficult to read.

_"I think I made a mistake." Aang admits._

_Roku cocks an eyebrow at him. "Why would you think that?"_

_Aang sighs. "I'm not sure but something about this has to be wrong."_

_"Do you feel that you did something wrong or do you feel that it is wrong for you to not feel guilt?"_

_"I think I should feel guilt but I don't." Actually he feels quite good._

_"Why create something that is not there? You are letting yourself worry and worrying is unproductive. I can tell you, Aang, that Azula is healing and you are helping her along." There is a sense of satisfaction in his voice._

_"Isn't it a little weird that spiritually I'm you?" Its awkward ground but he can't let go of the feeling that something has to be wrong about this._

_Roku laughs. "I always felt anything to do with the spirit world was weird."_

True to form, she is seated beside him. Her hair is tousled and she gives him a sleepy smile. Looking at her, he decides to listen to his past self and stop worrying.

"How did you sleep?" There is a teasing tone in his voice.

"Better than I have in years." She smiles as she sips her tea. Her golden eyes practically glow in the rising sun. "How about you?"

There is something about her, about this, which seems so right. Making a decision, Aang stands and holds his hand out to her. She looks at him questioningly as she takes it.

"Let's find out." He says as he pulls her back into the bedroom.

* * *

Against his better judgment he lets her accompany him on a trip to the market a few days later. He hasn't seen any wanted posters of her yet but she can't be someone that the Fire Nation would so easily forget about. It is another sign of her progress that she feels free enough to wonder a few stalls away from him now.

Her hair is unbound and flows freely over her shoulders. The red dress is tighter and more revealing than he would like for her to wear. Princess Ursa had a flair for fashion in her younger years. Azula is a lovely woman and she is attracting attention. It makes him uncomfortable but he doesn't dare look closer at why.

Having picked up what he needed, he watches her move through the crowd while he follows at a respectful distance. The heat is causing him to regret growing his hair out to cover his arrow and the headband around his forehead is not improving his mood. Hiding has meant long sleeved shirts, which are near stifling in the Fire Nation. He is ready to be back at the house away from prying eyes.

When she has collected what she needs, she turns to search the crowd for Aang.

"Hey, I know you!" Her blood freezes in her veins as the man steps in front of her blocking her path. When she doesn't reply, he steps closer. "You destroyed my father's house!"

The pieces of the puzzle click together. Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee and she had made short work of the Admiral's house after the ill-fated house party five years ago. "I'm sorry. Really I am." She steps back from the angry look in his eyes. The last thing Azula wants is a confrontation to draw the attention of guards.

"Yeah, I'll make you sorry." The man lunges forward grabbing her wrist.

Aang sees the commotion but before he can react, Azula twists out of the man's grasp and kicks knocking him back. He lands on the ground hard. Bending or not she is clearly able to still look after herself.

The crowd has parted to watch and the man wastes no time getting back on his feet. Holding his hand behind him, a flame appears in it and he moves to throw it at her. Before he can, though, Aang steps in to block sending the flame into the air.

"No, you won't." The Air Bender states simply. "She's already apologized so let it go." His voice is calm and even.

The man moves to counter with his other arm but Aang effortlessly blocks it as well. Grabbing hold of the man's collar, he sweeps his feet out from under him and using his hold pushes down landing the man hard on the ground. It's a more aggressive move than he usually uses. He reasons that it is because the man is carelessly Fire Bending in a crowd and not because Azula was his target.

A voice in the crowd yells "Avatar!" The fallen man's eyes focus on the blue arrow of the hand holding him down.

The crowd murmurs and draws closer.

Frustrated that his cover is blown, Aang roughly pulls him up. "Like I said, Leave her alone and let it go." The threat is clear so the man nods, unwilling to confront the Avatar. When Aang releases him, he disappears into the crowd, obviously shaken from the encounter.

Turning to Azula, he takes her hand and leads her away from the attention. Seeing their way blocked with people intent on following the Avatar, he picks her up bridal style in his arms and leaps over the buildings. They make it back to the house before he sits her down on her feet.

Reluctant to let her go, he holds her against him with one arm."Did you really destroy his house?"There is amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Zuko helped." She smiles and turns to walk up the stairs into the house.

He watches her swaying hips disappear through the doorway. Azula doesn't realize the power she holds over him at times. The realization he could be falling for her is unnerving. Instead, he turns his mind to his animals.

Appa and Momo have largely been left on their own over the past several days but they seem to be enjoying the time. He feeds them and spends a bit of time petting them before returning to the house.

She's at the kitchen table with a cup of tea.

Across from her is another cup meant for him. Out of the bag from the marketplace, he pulls a newspaper and takes his seat.

"I see tea-making runs in the family." He comments as he unfolds the paper.

"I can boil water you know."

"Didn't think they taught that in Princess school." His tone is light and teasing.

"You would be amazed at the education a Princess receives." He looks over the top of his paper at her suggestive tone. Her golden eyes are sparkling at him.

Pretending to be unaffected by the hungry look in her eye, he returns his attention back to the paper. "You would be amazed at what they taught at the monastery."

Azula hums. "If that's what you learned at the monastery then those monks were more worldly than they professed to be."She counters easily. The mild-mannered monk has really surprised her with his frequent demonstrations of prowess in the bedroom, living room, beach, or anywhere the mood strikes them.

Without looking up, he replies, "Avatar," as if that explains it all. The experiences of a thousand past lives have been useful in more ways than one.

They fall into a comfortable silence again. Over the past few days they have developed a routine of sleeping and eating together. It's the most peaceful she has felt in years.

"Azula, would you ever want to be Fire Lord?" The question catches her off guard but his gray eyes hold a serious intent.

She mulls the question over. Once it was all she wanted but that was a different life and she was a different person.

"No, Zuzu seems to be doing fine. I don't think I would handle that sort of power well." It had been her hunger for power that had helped lead to her downfall. As she says it she feels a sense of freedom in the words.

He watches her closely as if trying to decide if she is being honest. That he could still doubt her is irritating.

"Why do you ask?" Sometimes she hates playing games.

"It seems that you are an aunt." He slides the paper in front of her. There is a picture of Zuko, Mai, and a baby.

Gray eyes watch her as she takes in the sight of the new family.

"He was born three weeks ago." There aren't any feelings of jealousy that she was always sure would come when her brother started a family. "That's wonderful." She means it.

A thought occurs to her though and she sits the paper down. "I won't ever get to see him though." The reality of her situation hits her. It's not so much that she can't ever meet her nephew but she can't ever go home.

Aang can see the turn her thoughts are taking and he moves to her side. Kneeling in front of her, he takes her hands in his.

"That's not true. This isn't over yet so don't give up."

"I won't." Her voice lacks conviction though.

Seeing the turn her mood has taken, he pulls her up and leads her out the door.

"What are we doing?" She asks when they reach the courtyard.

He drops her hand and begins to remove the uncomfortable long sleeved shirt. "Training."

"I told you that I lost my bending." Her voice trails off as he strips off the shirt revealing his toned torso. Aang holds a special power over her as well.

"Zuko had the same problem when he joined me too." Aang explains as he removes the headband hiding his arrow and ruffles his hair.

"So there's something about you that blocks our bending?" The banter is back in her voice as she moves to stand closer to him.

"Something like that." He flashes her a boyish smile. "I was actually thinking we could just spar a bit. I don't think you're ready to rediscover your bending yet." Until he is confident that she has regained her inner balance, he doesn't want to upset all that they have worked towards. Azula is dangerous enough.

"I won't hold back." She warns him as she ties her hair back with his discarded headband.

Aang replies seriously "You never have." He has the scar to prove it. "But if you hurt me too bad then you may have to sleep alone tonight." He winks at her.

Their laughter rings off the stone walls.

* * *

"Oh, quit your whining!" Azula admonishes him.

"I think that was unnecessary." Aang says from his position on the bed. He is lying face down as she cleans his injuries.

"I thought surely the Avatar could take it." She feels bad for it but truly thought he would dodge it in time.

"It was a wall." A rather jagged wall that she brought down on him.

"Shame you can't heal your own back." She leans over to kiss his cheek.

He growls at her.

His back is already starting to bruise in various places and there is a decent sized gash on his shoulder blade. The rest of it is marked with cuts and scratches.

The hour is late though so she lies down on the other side, making sure to give him room.

"Tomorrow we should leave." Exhaustion and pain tint his voice.

She had been expecting it ever since he was spotted at the marketplace. It won't take long before word gets out and the townspeople put it together where he is staying on Ember Island. The Avatar has quite a following.

"Where will we go?" She doesn't want to go back out into the world. While they were here, she could forget that the rest of the world even existed.

"I have a friend that can help you." His hand finds hers under the covers. "How do you feel about onion and banana juice?"

* * *

Guru Pathik regards the woman across from him. There is such raw power pent up inside of her that he fears if it does not find a way out that it could be disastrous. Right now though, she is struggling to not glare at him. Feeling the day pass too quickly, he ends their session. The princess eagerly slips away without a second glance.

He is not surprised to see Aang step out from behind one of the pillars. The younger man occupies the space abandoned by his companion. They regard each other for a moment.

"She is willful." The Guru settles on the word.

"You have no idea." Aang smiles at the thought. "Do you think you can help her though?"

He considers what he has seen of the woman so far. "Yes, it will take some time but I feel she will do well."

The Avatar visibly relaxes in front of him as if a great weight has fallen away. "I truly hope so."

"Be careful, young Avatar, that you are not blinded by your feelings. Emotional attachments often blur the line between duty and desire."

Aang looks upward at the statue of Yungchen as he considers the Guru's wisdom.

* * *

He finds her on his bed.

"So do I pass?" Azula tosses a scroll to the side as she sits up.

He gives her a stern look and she plainly wilts under his gaze. Unable to maintain it for long, he breaks into a grin. "You'll do fine but you just have to give it time."

She sighs but narrows her eyes at him. "You would do well to not be a tease tonight, Avatar." She pats the bed beside her.

Like a moth to a flame he is drawn to her. "What are you reading?" He lies beside her and picks up the discarded scroll.

"It looks like an invitation to a ball in Ba Sing Se." Her quick fingers make short work of his robes. "That was held last month. You really should clean this room up some.

"I'm hardly here. The Guru just puts it on the desk until I find time." He shrugs off the heavy fabric and she tosses it haphazardly on the floor.

Azula makes a sound of disapproval. "Perhaps you need a secretary then." Before she can work on his pants though, he moves off the bed and to the desk stacked high with unread correspondence.

"Honestly, I spent more time at the palace than anywhere. I wouldn't even count this as home." He sorts through some of the more important looking documents.

"You don't have a home?" She asks thoughtfully eyeing the various injuries on his back.

"Not really. If you want to be technical about it, then I guess you could say the Southern Air Temple is my home but I haven't been there for some time either." As the last Air Bender, Aang lays claim to all the Air Temples but he's allowed others to take up residence in the Northern Temple.

"You really know how to put the nomad in Air nomad don't you." Azula replies wryly. She tries to not draw a comparison to her own lack of a residence. She is as homeless as he is, perhaps more so, since she doesn't have anywhere she can lay claim to.

Aang doesn't reply as he opens a letter from Zuko. He sees there are many more all bearing dates in the last month. Each one states the same request for him to visit and each newer one becomes more desperate.

"Zuzu?" Looking over his shoulder, she glances at the note and to the other ones bearing the royal seal.

"Yes." He's a bit awed by their number.

Azula picks up the most recently discarded one and reads. "Aang, situation is dire. Zuko."

"They are all like that but don't say what the situation is." He puts them down and walks to the window.

"I would say my dear brother is frantic at my 'prison break' and he wants his friend the Avatar to come and help."

He leans against the window ledge, raising an eyebrow at the bitter tone in her voice.

Visibly deflating at the Aang's look of reproach, she can't keep the vulnerability out of her voice. "You're leaving aren't you?"

"I have to." It's the part of the role he hates. The Avatar doesn't have the luxury of being selfish.

Azula presses her lips into a line and nods. "You're the Avatar." It's a simple but very true answer. She knows the role that duty and obligation plays and personal relationships come second and even third.

He lets out a sigh and looks down. "I never wanted to be." As if saying it could somehow make his leaving any better.

Suddenly she is standing in front of him, taking his face into her hands. "Someone had to be." She says before her lips claim his. Azula was always able to see to the truth of the situation. Some truths just aren't that pleasant.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**"Things are…" Aang grasps for the right words without giving too much away "complicated." It's an understatement and does not really fit the situation. However, he does not think Zuko would appreciate the irony right now.**_


	5. Chapter 5

Slowly, Azula disentangles herself from Aang. The Air Bender is sleeping deeply with his arm and leg thrown over her. Once she frees herself she wraps her robe around her and walks out into the courtyard of the temple, where they have stayed for the past week.

In a few hours, he will leave to return to the Fire Nation to deal with the situation there and she will be left here all alone. Well, the Guru will be here but she takes little consolation in that.

The past several weeks have been surprising and quite pleasant. The fact they became lovers was not surprising if she really thought about it. Azula was always drawn to power but the only man who had more power than she did was her father. The Avatar was a perfect fit for her. If she is honest with herself, it is not just the power that he wields. He has a kindness and gentleness that she once mistook for weakness. Now she sees just how powerful it can truly be. She feels safe with him and Azula has never needed anyone to make her feel safe before. If Zuko can change sides, then perhaps she can too.

* * *

The first thing he notices when he wakes up is the pain in his back. Over the night, the muscles have stiffened. He knew he was overdoing it but he let her take what she needed from him. He will need the time dealing with the world's problems to recuperate from his vacation.

"Have some tea. It will help with the pain." Her voice is soothing and warm.

With a grimace he pushes himself into a sitting position, and gratefully takes the steaming cup.

Her eyes are bright and she is already dressed for the day.

"Get an early start?" He drinks as he considers her appearance.

Her smile is mysterious. "Something like that."

He surveys the room. His robes are hung rather than laying in the haphazard pile they were tossed into last night. Their bags are neatly stowed away but most surprising is the desk that had been overflowing with papers.

"Did you do this?" He says as he looks over the neatly arranged piles.

"Well, Appa helped but I had to ask nicely." She replies sarcastically.

"This is amazing." He draws her close and buries his face in her hair. "I'm going to miss you."

Azula wills herself to remain calm. "You better hurry back then. I might decide I like onion and banana juice and run off with the Guru instead."

She has a surprising talent for humor. It's as close to an admission of affection she has given him.

He smiles at her attempt to lighten the mood. "If you do, then be prepared for me to chase you all over the world this time." As he says it, Aang realizes just how much truth his words hold.

* * *

Over the past several weeks, she has opened up more about her captivity. Commander Lao had gathered an impressive army of disgruntled Fire Nation soldiers to back his plans to kidnap Azula, marry her, and challenge Zuko for the throne with an Agni Kai.

Azula is not one to be a pawn and refused. Lao was prepared for this and sought to change her mind using techniques honed over 100 years of war. His princess is a strong woman but everyone has a breaking point. Lao found Azula's and in the end she acquiesced to his demands. She managed to escape before the actual wedding took place. He doesn't like to dwell on how happy that makes him.

Leaving is bittersweet for him, but as the Air Temple fades behind him, he turns his thoughts to the task ahead. He has thought about what to say to his friends when he sees them. Azula is not where she needs to be, though she is making steady progress. It is best to keep her a secret for now and hopefully in time there will be an opportunity to turn things around. Dishonesty is not his strong suit.

When he went into hiding he did so because he was weighed down and tired. There was pressure to bring back the Air Benders but the one woman he wanted had turned him down. He's not sure that Azula would be eager either but he hasn't felt like this in years. She has a dark side that he finds very appealing. Even when she was trying to kill him, he admired her skill and prowess. He is falling for her and fast.

* * *

"Zuko, stop pacing." Katara orders from her seat. The baby in her arms is sleeping soundly.

"Yeah, you are seriously wearing a hole in the floor." Toph is sprawled on the floor. Her sightless gaze focused upward.

The Firelord doesn't answer but does stand to look out the window. Their nerves are frayed as they have waited for something to change. Aang has disappeared and Azula has yet to make her appearance.

"When did Mai say she'll be back?" He asks impatiently.

"Relax, she just went to her parents house. It's across the road." Toph's voice drips with irritation.

Since this whole situation has come about, Zuko has fretted over what will happen. He has kept Mai and the baby closely guarded. Sokka, Katara, and Toph have been on hand but so far all they have done is pass the time.

"Wait a minute" Toph sits up eagerly. "It's Twinkletoes!"

When Aang walks through the doors, Toph is quick to throw her arms around him, nearly knocking him back.

"Toph, it's good to see you too!" Her arms dig into the injuries on his back causing him to recoil some.

Just as quickly she steps back, sensing his pain. "You're hurt! I'm sorry!"

"No, it's okay. It's nothing major." He tries to assure her as he draws a shaky breath. The injuries are a week old and should be healing but Azula has been a very demanding bed partner.

Toph frowns at his attempt to lie to her but decides to let it go.

Zuko is next. "Where have you been?" The look in the Firelord's eyes is near frantic.

Aang smiles at the harsh welcome. "Good to see you too, Sifu Hotman."

"Seriously, you disappeared! We were worried!" More than once the thought has crossed Zuko's mind that Aang could be dead. Worrying about his friend has not set well on him at all.

Aang at least has the good sense to look contrite. "I'm sorry. I needed some time and took a vacation but I'm here now."

Katara watches from her seat. She's not sure what she expected when she seen him again. The years have done Aang well as he seems to have grown even more. Seeing him with hair again brings back pleasant memories. She always loved his hair.

Slowly he approaches her, gray eyes focused on the baby in her arms.

"Hello Katara," he says softly, giving her a gentle smile. The baby holds his attention though.

She returns the smile. "Hello Aang. Would you like to hold him?"

His eyes light up at the idea. "Really?"

"Just don't drop him" Zuko says, sulking on the other side of the room.

Carefully, she hands the baby over.

The look on Aang's face is one of pure boyish glee. "He is amazing!" He runs his fingers gently over the baby's forehead. "He will be a powerful Fire Bender."

"You think so?" Zuko perks up.

"Yes, I can tell it already." The baby begins to stretch and open his eyes.

Golden eyes lock onto gray ones and the baby stares him down in a familiar fashion. He can't help but laugh at the similarities.

Holding the baby is almost worth the trip. "I am so happy for you Zuko. How is Mai?"

"Visiting her parents once Sparky finally let her out of her room." Toph has resumed her position on the floor.

"That's what I have been trying to find you for." Zuko throws up his hands in an exasperated fashion.

Aang frowns at Zuko. "To let Mai out of her room?"

Zuko glares at him. "No! Azula! She's escaped from prison."

He doesn't get the reaction from Aang he was expecting.

"Oh." Is all Aang says. He hands the baby back to Katara.

Zuko stares at him like he has lost his mind.

"That's it? My crazy sister is on the loose and all you can say is 'Oh'?"

The energy in the room suddenly shifts. Zuko takes a step back from the look in Aang's eyes. It's a subtle change but one that he has come to recognize in his friend that he is treading on dangerous ground.

Katara regards the two men warily and Toph sits up at the unexpected tension.

For a long moment Aang doesn't reply but simply stares Zuko down. His gray eyes are dark and stormy, but not quite glowing yet. Zuko resists the urge to look away.

Sokka walks in and stops at the electric feel in the room. "Whoa, what's going on guys?" He looks back and forth between the Avatar and the Firelord.

And just like that Aang blinks and the look is gone.

"In the morning you can tell me what you've found out so far and I'll see what I can do." He doesn't wait for Zuko's reply as he walks out the door.

Once he has left the others look at each other in confusion.

"Maybe Twinkletoes needed more time off." Toph flops back on the ground.

* * *

Following the war, Aang made his base of operations in the Fire Nation Palace. He easily navigates the way to his room but doesn't bother to shut the door because he can tell she is on her way. His robes are stifling in the heat and rubbing against his injuries so he starts to remove them.

Katara enters the room without ceremony but stops short at the sight of Aang half-dressed.

"Hey," he sits heavily on the edge of the bed. A few hours back and he already feels like leaving again.

"It's good to see you, Aang." It would be pointless to ask about what happened with Zuko. Once she would have known just what he was thinking but that was a long time ago.

"You too, Katara." He gives her a small smile.

She closes the door behind her and moves closer to him. His gray eyes follow her progress but his face gives nothing away.

"Toph said you were hurt." She feels out of place.

"It's a bit hard to heal one's self." He is guarded with his reply.

"Would you like me to help?" The best thing to do is to be persistent with him.

He hesitates. While he would like to be free from the pain, it feels strange to ask Katara to heal the injuries that Azula gave to him. However, it might improve his mood so he agrees.

She wastes no time settling behind him on the bed. "Oh my" she murmurs as she takes in the extensive bruising and cuts. "I thought you were on vacation?"

'I was." He lets out a gasp as she sets to work on the largest of the cuts.

"That must have been some vacation." Katara murmurs as the skin closes back together. Carefully, she works her way down his back and the bruised skin begins to heal.

Aang lets out a breath as the pain begins to ease. Her hands hover over his scar and he feels the tissue start to relax.

"While you are here, I can work on your scar some more." Once she had healed it on a daily basis, making the scarred flesh more pliable. Without those daily sessions that it has worsened again.

"I may take you up on that." He grits his teeth as he feels the sting of damaged skin being manipulated.

"Some of these injuries are older." Leaning forward to look closer, the half moon shaped scratches on his back strike her as familiar. It's the touch of a lover's hands on his skin. She bites her lower lip considering this new information. It's not as if she really thought he would wait for her but faced with the evidence that he has found someone new brings a tightness in her chest.

They pass the rest of the time in silence and he is nearly asleep by the time she is done, having relaxed under her expert touch. When she removes her hands from his back and slips off the bed, he lies on his back relishing the feel of the soft bed and healed skin.

"Katara, thank you for this." His eyes are tired but his smile is genuine.

"You're welcome, Aang. Good night." She quickly closes the door behind her and retreats to her own room.

* * *

After Katara follows Aang out the door, Sokka turns to Zuko and Toph.

"That was weird." Toph says as she stands. "What's up with him?"

"I'm not sure." Zuko says slowly. The encounter has left him feeling unsettled. He isn't exactly afraid of Aang but he has a healthy respect for what the man is capable of.

"Did he say where he had been?" Sokka is seated on the couch.

"No, just that he had been on vacation." Zuko answers, uncertainty coloring his voice. Something just feels off to him.

"Avoid and evade. Sounds like an Air Bender to me. What I want to know is who he was with on Ember Island?" The Earth Bender moves to occupy one of the chairs.

News of the Avatar travels fast and they had mulled over the identity of the mystery woman he was spotted with, while trying to keep it a secret from Katara.

"So he wasn't alone on this vacation of his. No wonder he didn't want to be found." Sokka observes. Toph unsuccessfully suppresses a giggle at the thought.

Zuko scowls. The whole time he was worried and frantic about his friend, Aang was hiding at his own house with a girl.

Frustrated, the Fire Lord is the first to leave. "I have some things to take care of before I go to bed. We'll talk to him in the morning."

Once the door closes, silence fills the room.

"What do you think, Toph?"

"I think I need to pay Twinkletoes a little visit." Toph always has a way of getting around the Air Bender's defenses.

Sokka smiles and feels a bit of sympathy for Aang. "I'm going to find Katara." His brotherly instincts tell him she could need him.

* * *

Despite his exhaustion, Aang is having difficulty sleeping. The pain in his back is gone and the bed is the same one he slept on for years. It doesn't feel the same. He misses her. Throwing the covers off, he gets out of bed. Sleep won't come to him tonight.

He's not surprised when the door opens and Toph nonchalantly walks in so he continues on his path to the balcony and she follows.

The moon casts a soft light as he sits on the cool stone. He smiles when Toph sits beside him, affecting the same pose.

"What's her name?"

Toph is always to the point but he didn't expect her to lead off with that.

"How did you hear about that?" It's really useless to deny it but he can try to delay the inevitable.

"Next time you are on Ember Island, keep those tattoos of yours hidden better."

For a people that strove to live simply, the Air Nation didn't mind drawing attention to themselves. The monks really should have considered the implication of a full body tattoo.

"I'll remember that in the future."

"Is it serious?" Toph tries a different tactic.

It's the question he has been asking himself lately. It's just been over three weeks but it seems longer.

"I can't sleep." He settles on a half truth. The absence of her familiar presence next to him is disconcerting.

Toph snorts. "Does she tuck you in at night?"

"Something like that." He breaks into a grin thinking about Azula in bed.

Toph frowns at the change in heart rate. "You almost went all Avatar on Sparky in there."

Regret had hit him almost instantly but hearing Zuko's words angered him. He can't deny the protectiveness he feels over Azula but that still doesn't excuse his actions.

"I shouldn't have."

Zuko is just afraid for his country and for his family. In the morning he will apologize and do what he can to allay the Fire Lord's fears.

Azula honestly doesn't want the crown. Zuko always said that Azula lies. She was talented enough to fool Toph but Aang has looked into her soul. Once you have handled the soul of someone else, it gives you insight into that person that no one else can ever have.

"You're thinking about her right now!" Toph accuses unaware of who her friend's thoughts have centered upon. "Your heart is beating fast." She finally calls him out on it.

Sometimes having a friend that can read your every heartbeat is aggravating.

She waves a hand at him, dismissively. "I really don't want to know." There is a hint of disgust in her voice.

The laughter of the two benders rings over the courtyard.

* * *

Sokka enters the darkened room, and hears sobbing, "Katara?"

In the dim light he sees her sit up rubbing at her face. "Sokka, what is it?" She tries to give the effect that she is fine.

"Are you okay?" He sits beside her on the bed, already knowing the answer, but asking all the same.

"Yeah, it's just…I didn't expect him to move on." She honestly thought things weren't through with them.

"Oh, you heard about that." Sokka's voice is tinged with apology.

"Wait, you knew?"

"Yeah, we all did." When the news reached the palace they made a decision to not mention it to Katara. Why upset her over speculation?

She glares at him feeling betrayed.

"He was spotted on Ember Island a week ago with her. Zuko figured he's been staying at his house there." Coming clean does not relieve his guilt.

Katara considers his words. 'It's just I've been thinking lately about things and I think I made a mistake when I turned him down." For two years she has tried to stay busy and tell herself that it was for the best but more and more she has grown to doubt that.

"Maybe it's not serious." Marriage has made Sokka more optimistic.

The shaking of her head causes her long hair to fall around her face. "No, it's serious, serious enough that he's sleeping with her." Over the years she had healed enough of her own marks of passion on Aang to recognize the injuries for what they are.

"He told you that?" Sokka's voice is loud. Aang is his best friend but the thought that he would callously throw his new relationship in Katara's face angers Sokka.

"No, but I could see the evidence." Her voice trails off.

"Oh," He really isn't sure what to say. The siblings sit in silence considering the situation.

"You know, Katara, it's been two years." Sokka pauses searching for the right words. "You had your reasons for turning him down. Are you saying those reasons don't matter anymore?"

Katara leans against his shoulder and shakes her head slowly. The same reasons she turned him down still stand. "How did you get so wise?"

Sokka smiles as he wraps his arm around her shoulders. "It's a big brother thing."

* * *

In the morning, Aang finds Zuko sitting by the turtle-duck pond tossing chunks of bread to the creatures. He sits silently beside him.

"I owe you an apology, Zuko. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you."

Zuko throws another piece of bread into the water. "It was unexpected." He had been up most of the night pondering what went wrong with his friend.

"Things are…" Aang grasps for the right words without giving too much away "complicated." It's an understatement and does not really fit the situation. However, he does not think Zuko would appreciate the irony right now.

"You know you can talk to me about anything." Zuko turns to him with a sympathetic eye.

The offer is so tempting but Zuko is part of the complication.

"Maybe later." Aang offers instead.

Zuko accepts this. There are some things that a man has to work out on his own.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**All any of them have wanted was the peace that followed the war. Too much had been lost by too many and they jealously guard what happiness they have carved out of the wreckage. **_


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko points at a map of the Fire Nation on his desk.

"This is where Azula's prison is."

"There isn't any way she could get out of there on her own. She had help." Sokka chimes in. Toph and he seen firsthand how difficult it would be.

"In order to keep it secure, once a week a transport arrives with supplies. The island is isolated and doesn't have any way to get out except on that transport." Zuko supplies. "We aren't sure the exact day she broke out because there isn't daily communication from the prison." The breakout had only been discovered when the transport made its weekly run to deliver supplies.

"So someone got around the patrols and broke her out." Toph voices their assumption.

Aang eyes the map then Zuko. "What did the guards have to say?"

The look in Zuko's eyes hardens."There weren't any survivors. The prison had a staff of twenty."

Weighing this new information, Aang steps away from the desk and walks toward the window. Twenty people killed to kidnap Azula. A man willing to kill an entire prison of people to cover his track and willing to torture a woman into a forced marriage will not stop at anything to get what he wants.

The others watch as Aang thinks it through. They have all been over this so many times but they had arrived at an impasse.

Azula had spoken about the path she took to Ember Island. It had been a long journey as the fugitive princess ducked patrols of both the rebels and the proper army. Aang returns to the map and looks over it, mentally tracing a line from Ember Island.

"The Northern Territory is mostly jungle. So I'll start there." Aang explains.

"What makes you think that's where Azula is?" It isn't that Zuko doubts him but it's also not like Aang to guess at these things. The Avatar's actions leave him confused.

Aang regards him with dark eyes. "The wind currents flow from the prison island toward that area." It's something only an Air Bender would be all too aware of and as good an excuse as he can come up with.

"Okay." It's as best a place to start as anything and Zuko is out of options.

"I'll be back when I find something out." Aang is at the door before they protest. He takes in the concerned expressions of his friends. "It's safer if I go by myself."

"Since when?" Toph is growing frustrated with his behavior.

Aang grits his teeth. If he is honest, it would always have been safer if he would have just gone it alone. His friends have been there for him time and time again and he couldn't have ended the war without them but it sets him on edge to think of them being in danger again.

"I can take care of myself." His voice is amazingly calm despite the agitation he is feeling.

"This is Azula we're talking about." Sokka tries to reason with him. "She took you down once, Aang." It's a very brutal truth. The others hold their breath anticipating Aang's reaction.

The Air Bender laughs, surprising them. "I can handle Azula." He walks out closing the door behind him. The sound of his laughter echoes down the hall, leaving the others confused in his wake.

* * *

Toph catches up to him in Appa's stable as he packs the saddle.

"Out with it." She demands

Having been expecting the Metal Bender, he doesn't stop what he is doing. "With what?"

She huffs. "Stop avoiding it!" The fact that her best friend has been hiding something is wearing on nerves already frayed from weeks of anticipation.

He stops and leans back against Appa's soft fur, feeling exhausted. He doesn't like keeping secrets, especially from his friends but there really isn't another way around it right now.

"I promise, Toph, when the time is right, I will tell you everything." It's all he can offer right now.

Her sightless green eyes stare at him. "You better." The soft tone is as much leeway as she is willing to give him right now.

Sighing in relief, he turns back to his task.

"I'm going with you."

His frustration bubbles to the surface. "I can take care of myself! I don't need you babysitting me!"

Toph doesn't back down. "You may be the Avatar but you still need your friends." She stomps her foot causing a ripple to run through the stables. "Besides, it's not all about you!"

The truth in her words strike deep. It isn't about him but he is so focused on his own feelings and secrets that he forgets what they must be going through. All any of them have wanted was the peace that followed the war. Too much had been lost by too many and they jealously guard what happiness they have carved out of the wreckage.

"I'm sorry, Toph."

"It's okay, Twinkletoes. Someone has to keep you in line." Her affectionate punch in the arm carries more sting than usual.

* * *

Azula had recounted to him the path she took with as much detail as she could remember. The years of imprisonment had done little to diminish her intellectual capacity. Flying over the Northern Territory of the Fire Nation affords him a view of landmarks that he wouldn't have had otherwise. He easily spots the river Azula followed as well as the large volcano it leads too.

Toph gets her bearings. "There's an underground cavern, that way." She points towards the base of the largest volcano in the mountain chain.

As they draw closer they see the large mouth of a cave.

"Can you sense anyone?"

Toph shakes her head. A small flame appears in Aang's hand as they enter the cave.

The cave is massive and inside it are the remainders of a haphazard move.

"Whoever was here left in a hurry." He observes.

The cave opens to a series of smaller caves. The air becomes staler and damper the farther back they walk until it becomes difficult to draw a good breath of air. Aang bends fresh air in but it does little to dissipate the smell. He stops in front of a simple metal door that has been left open. What he sees inside makes his blood run cold.

"Aang?" Toph senses the change in his heartbeat.

The room is small and bare save for a metal table with metal cuffs.

"What's that smell?" Toph raises her hand to cover her nose.

"Blood." He bites out. "The floor and walls are covered in it."

The room is splattered with it and he knows that it's Azula's.

"Let's get out of here."

They don't speak as they make their way out of the cave. When Toph feels the warm sun on her skin again, she draws in a deep breath trying to rid her nose of the stench of dried blood.

Aang stares at the mouth of the cave. He's trying to remain calm but he can only imagine how each and every one of Azula's injuries were inflicted in that room.

"Who are these people?" Toph cries out. During the war they had seen their share of horrors, but those pale in comparison to the evidence of what they just found.

His only answer to the Earth Bender is the crashing of rock collapsing the cave system.

* * *

"So that's it then," Sokka collapses against the couch in Zuko's office.

"I doubt it." Toph says from beside him. "There was enough stuff left there to supply a legion."

"How could an army that big just disappear?"

Sokka's question hangs in the air.

"I don't know." Zuko rubs his temple trying to ward off the very big headache he feels coming on at the thought of another coup attempt. "I would have liked to have seen what was left behind." He angrily directs his comment towards the balcony.

Aang doesn't respond but continues to stare impassively over the courtyard. As soon as they gathered in Zuko's office to share what they found, he retreated to the balcony leaving Toph to fill the others in. He's afraid to say anything so he works on burying his feelings deep.

"They hurt someone in there." Toph's voice is low. She knows what upset her friend. The gentle monk doesn't like to see others suffer. "The room was covered in blood Aang said."

Zuko considers her words. The Fire Nation army was one of the most feared and for good reason. They had a way of getting the information they wanted and weren't very considerate of their methods. Torture had been commonplace.

"Until they surface, we can't do anything but keep our eyes open." Unfortunately for Zuko this is a wait and see thing. It will do nothing to help him sleep better at night.

"When something does happen, send word to the Southern Air Temple." Aang steps back into the room. "That's where I'll be." While he knows how Azula's injuries were inflicted, having seen the room it occurred in makes him want to be back with her more than ever.

"You're leaving now? This is not a good time." Zuko pleads with his friend.

"I have something to take care of, Zuko." Aang is using the official Avatar voice."You can send word to me at the Southern Air Temple. I won't be that far away. Besides, Sokka, Toph, and Katara are here. You won't exactly be alone."

Zuko stares at the door as it closes. "I can't believe this. He's running off to his girlfriend while we sit here like turtle-ducks!"

Sokka and Toph are silent while the Fire Lord vents his frustrations.

* * *

The hour is late but Katara knows he won't be asleep.

"Come" he calls in answer to her knock.

She closes the door behind her but stops to let her eyes adjust to the dark of the room.

The torches light up with his Fire Bending, revealing Aang sprawled on top of the bed covers.

"Katara, is everything okay?" He half sits up, gray eyes tinged with concern.

"Zuko said you were going to the Southern Air Temple."

"I have some things I need to take care of there. I already told Zuko that."

"I didn't come because Zuko asked me to. I came because we never really talked about what happened with us." She moves closer.

He sits up at this. "Katara, you don't have to explain. I know you didn't want the sort of life that goes along with being the Avatar."

"I wanted a life with you but I didn't want to share you with the world." She shrugs. "I regret turning you down when you asked me to marry you."

He regards her with dark eyes. "What does that mean exactly?"

Taking a deep breath, Katara steadies herself. "It means that I'm sorry about what happened." She resists the urge to fidget under his stare.

Slowly, he stands. "I'm sorry too."

"Sokka says you're seeing someone?" There isn't any use avoiding it.

Aang nods slowly unsure how much to say to her.

"Is it serious?" Her voice doesn't shake and she takes a measure or pride in it.

Aang takes a moment to consider what he has with Azula. "We haven't talked about it." He knows he wants more.

"Do you love her?" It feels strange talking to him about this.

He hesitates because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings but she sees the truth in his eyes.

She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiles. "I hope it works out for you."

Aang asks warily. "Do you mean that?"

"I do. I want you to be happy." Truth shines in her ocean blue eyes. "I still want us to be friends. I've missed my best friend."

The Air Bender breaks into a wide grin. "Me too." He closes the distance to hug her.

When he lets her down, she wipes the tears off her face and gives him a warm smile. "So tell me about this girl?"

Aang is lost for words.

"Aang, really it's okay." She assures him as she takes a seat on the couch in his room. She looks up at him eagerly.

He sits in the chair opposite from her. "I'm not sure what to say." How can he talk about Azula without talking about Azula?

Katara smiles at him gently. "What do you like about her?"

Pausing to consider his words, Aang smiles, "She's amazing."

Katara is surprised to find it doesn't hurt as much a she thought it would to talk to him about his new love. "Tell me what's amazing about her."

"She beat me at sparring." He smiles at the memory.

"Wait, was that how you got hurt?" She nearly laughs at the thought.

His face colors. "She used a wall, Katara."

Katara does laugh at this."I think I may like this girl after all."

Aang looks away from her. He's not sure what the fallout will be when his friends find out the truth. Azula has been the face of the enemy for so long that they may never see her as anything else. He may even lose friends. It scares him a bit to think that he would be okay with that if it came to that.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**Aang looks up at the rows of statues. The lifeless eyes of the Avatars staring back at him. "I suppose anyone is capable of good and evil." He is not the first Avatar to make mistakes.**_


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning comes too early. Katara stayed late and it became like old times. They laughed and joked and the whole evening lacked the tension he had feared for so long. She really was one of his best friends and they were able to pick up the pieces of their broken friendship out of the ruins of their failed romance.

The Eastern Air Temple comes into view and he begins to feel anxious. He has only been away for a few days but they were an emotionally packed few days.

When his feet touch the temple stones, she is waiting for him, dressed in her dark red silk robe.

Her golden eyes consider him carefully. "I've developed quite a taste for onion and banana juice." She announces.

He resists the urge to move towards her. He knows the steps in their dance. "I doubt the Guru can keep up with you, Azula. He's over 100 years old you know."

One elegant eyebrow arches at him. "Says the man who is 118 himself."

He smiles at the challenge. "Avatar." It's the only explanation he needs.

She reaches for the sash holding her robe closed, pulling the silk free and dropping the garment to the stones below. "Prove it, Avatar."

For a moment, he takes in the sight she presents. "Yes, Princess." He scoops her into his arms and they disappear inside the temple doors.

* * *

The moon has risen and is shining through the windows of their room at the temple. Lightly she traces her fingers over the lines of his tattoo on his back.

"You seemed to have healed quickly." She observes.

"I had some help there." He rolls to his back pulling her against him.

"Katara?" she sits up to straddle him properly, bracing her hands on his chest.

"Yes," he settles under her, hands on her hips.

"Hmm, not sure how I feel about your ex girlfriend undoing all my hard work."

He laughs. "I think you'll have plenty of chances to do more."

She leans down to nip his lips with her own. "So true. I'm looking forward to Fire Bending again then you're in for it, Avatar."

His hand slides into her hair drawing her closer again as he deepens the kiss. She begins to relax against him so he takes his chance and rolls them so he is on top.

"You aren't jealous are you?" He pulls back just out of reach of her lips.

Her eyes turn serious. "Should I be?"

Aang shakes his head. "Not at all." He's laid his demons to rest concerning the Water Bender.

When he moves to kiss her again, she dodges his attempt. "Things like that will get you hurt." She threatens.

His gray eyes glint mischievously in the moonlight. "I'll just get Katara to heal me again."

Azula is quicker than he is and the stone floor of the temple hits hard.

* * *

After 105 years, Aang finally returns home. The Southern Air Temple has been partially reclaimed by nature but the stone walls are still standing. He thinks in a way he has avoided this place because of the unpleasant memories. The Temple represents the childhood he lost and his greatest failure.

Knowing the atrocities the Fire Nation committed should make him hesitant to bring her here. For years she has represented all there was to fear of the Fire Nation. He never has told her about the nightmares he had of her. She may enjoy the knowledge. Azula is still unpredictable.

She prowls around the temple grounds with the grace of a jungle cat. Her golden eyes take in every detail putting the pieces together to form a picture of what it must have been like for him when he was younger.

Aang obliges her curiosity and lets her explore. When she enters the inner sanctum, revealing the statues of his past lives, her eyes settle on the statue of Roku.

"Mother never told us who her grandfather was." She says absently, well aware he is watching. "Zuko told me. Of course, I thought he was lying."

He moves to stand beside her, looking up at his past self. "Roku told me that Sozin and he were best friends growing up."

"We know how that turned out." Her reply is quiet but carries an edge.

"Roku's point was there is good and bad in all of us. Evil is not something that can be based on national allegiance." His voice is patient.

"So there were evil Air Benders?"

He looks into her golden eyes, but gives nothing away. "No one's perfect."

The setting sun casts an orange glow in the temple. Her eyes shine like the sun. "What about Avatars?"

Aang looks up at the rows of statues. The lifeless eyes of the Avatars staring back at him. "I suppose anyone is capable of good and evil." He is not the first Avatar to make mistakes.

"Interesting." She murmurs as she turns to walk out the door. Once outside in the warmth of the fading sun she turns to look back into the room at him. "What about you, Avatar Aang?"

He slowly walks towards the door, stopping in the shadows just inside of it.

Her eyes watch him steadily waiting for his answer. As the sun fades, the shadows fall and his eyes take on the slight white glow she seen in them the night of Yue's light. Azula wants to ask what it means but a part of her is reluctant to know. Instead, she holds her hand out to him and waits. He is motionless and Azula feels a creeping sense of apprehension as he stares at her with that eerie glow. When he finally takes her hand, she breathes in relief and leads him into the setting sun.

* * *

There are times she fears Aang. Azula is reluctant to admit it as she has never really feared anyone. That's not true. She feared her father. He was ruthless and cruel. Zuko suffered the worst and Azula learned from her brother's mistakes and strove to reach Ozai's high standards. One may consider her own evil ways a survival mechanism. Of course no one would give her that much leeway.

His soft breaths ghost across her shoulder while they lay in bed. Sleep claimed him quickly but she finds herself restless. She was honest when she said she was never afraid of him before. That was a time when Azula was at her best. The power of the Fire Nation stood behind her and a bright future stood before.

Now, she is dependent upon him: she lives with him, eats with him, her ability to relearn Fire Bending rests on him. He brings out feelings in her that she is unused too. Azula stops short of thinking she loves him though. She doesn't really know what love is. If her parents' marriage is any indicator of how things should go, then it's only a matter of time before one of them betrays the other. These thoughts do not sit well with her so she rises from the bed.

He opens his eyes as she leaves the room. He didn't mean to concern her but her question brought up some uncomfortable parallels. The Avatar should always do what is right and good. He wishes he could say that the Avatars have lived up to that ideal. At the very least, he wishes he could say he did.

Azula has lost her ability to Fire Bend and he suspects it is much like when Zuko switched sides. The Fire Lord had to relearn how to bend and let the energy come from a different source inside of him. Azula will have to do the same. However, Aang is afraid of what it may mean.

Azula is a dangerous woman without her bending abilities and he is reluctant to arm her with something fiercer. She honestly doesn't want the throne and seems to have put her goals of world conquest to the side. He saw that much when he looked into her soul but there is something indefinable that gives him pause. The power that bending gives could risk throwing her out of balance again and Aang wants to avoid that. He likes her the way she is and he is keeping her from relearning her bending to preserve what they have with each other.

Even Avatars are selfish.

He stops short to consider his actions evil but he sees the very real path he would walk down for her. He already knows he would give up his friends. He already shirks his duty to the world to be with her. Before this is over, he wonders how much more he will give to her. The answer scares him.

* * *

It is two weeks later before her frustration rises to the surface. "Why are you delaying this?"

"I'm not." He is.

"I must learn how to bend properly again." She has been over this with him time and time again but the Air Bender keeps putting her off.

His gray eyes give her a suffering look. "I'm not sure the time is right."

Golden eyes narrow at him. "You mean you don't trust me."

"It's not that." Aang has been surprised to find that love and trust are different things. He loves her but he doesn't really trust her. It has been seven weeks since they crossed paths at Ember Island. Seven weeks that have taken him to heights he never thought were possible. It's the fall he dreads. There is a dark irony that a Master Air Bender is suddenly afraid of flying too high.

Azula circles around him. "You trust me enough to bed me but not enough to help me with this." The cold edge in her voice is an eerie throwback to the war.

Aggravated at her candid summary, he tries to not let it get to him. "When you say it like that, it sounds bad."

Her face assumes the impassive mask she wore years ago. "It is."

Drawing a deep breath, he approaches her. "Azula, I'm concerned that it could upset the balance. We don't know how you will react with that sort of power again."

"This is who I am. I am a Fire Bender. I have to restore my honor." Her words are sharp and true.

His face takes on a more serious look. "Until I'm confident that it won't do more harm than good, I won't teach you Fire Bending."

"Is that Aang or the Avatar speaking?" She challenges.

His eyes harden. "Both." There is something to be said for rising to Azula's challenge, even now.

Something shifts in her eyes as she steps back from him. A chill permeates the room. Turning to walk through the door she says over her shoulder, "Good night, Avatar."

He watches her go and resists the urge to follow her. "Good night, Princess." Aang is all too aware of the change in the currents around him.

* * *

The next few days are frosty and she avoids him. When a message arrives from the Northern Water Tribe requesting his assistance, he is almost eager to leave.

He finds her in the room she moved to after their falling out, reading a book from the Air Temple Library.

"I'm leaving for the Northern Water Tribe." He announces from the doorway.

She doesn't look up.

"It should take a week." Aang ignores her obliviousness. "I'm leaving tonight."

When Azula still doesn't acknowledge him, he leaves and returns to his own room to pack.

Once the door closes, she puts the book down, considering the situation. She is sympathetic to the concerns he has but at the same time she knows this is something that is important to her very identity. Azula may no longer be a true Princess of the Fire Nation but she was always the Mistress of the Sapphire Flame. There is so much she has to make up for in order to restore her honor.

Perhaps he is right to not trust her but it still hurts that he, of all people, doesn't. It is a testament to the true nature of the person she was before that even her lover fears her and what she can become. He tries to keep her powerless instead.

The only way around this is to show him that she can handle it. She can walk the path of good and be a Fire Bender as well. If he won't teach her, then she will find someone that will.

As soon as he disappears in the sky, she takes out a bag and begins to pack. One does not simply walk out of the Southern Air Temple but Azula is confident that she can overcome this obstacle as well as the ones ahead of her.

* * *

Traveling undercover is difficult. Traveling without money makes it even more so but Azula is ingenious in her methods. After a week of travel, the great wall of Ba Sing Se rises before her.

The city is everything she remembers it to be. It is large and colorful and she feels momentarily lost in her search. What if Uncle wants nothing to do with her? It crosses her mind that he may turn her over to Zuko.

The Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop is easy enough to find. There are endless streams of traffic in and out. Uncle Iroh has done well in his retirement. She sees him through the large open door dispensing tea and advice to the patrons. He looks utterly at peace.

It isn't until late that he finally shuts the doors and leaves. She follows at a distance until he reaches a modest house in the Upper Ring. Now that she is here she feels suddenly self conscious. How does she ask the man she tried to kill for help?

Deciding to wait for another day, she turns away intent on finding shelter for the night. Perhaps in the morning she will feel more confident about her task.

Her way is blocked by three men. The faint light of the moon glints off their daggers.

* * *

The last of the men retreats and Azula should feel proud that she fended them off but the sharp pain in her stomach reminds her there was a price to her victory. The blood is already soaking her dress so she presses her hands to the wound to try to stem the flow. Now seems like a good time to visit Uncle.

As Azula makes her way down the street towards the house, she begins to feel faint. She resists the urge to cry out for help as it may draw attention from a guard so she forces herself up the stairs. Weakly she raises a bloodied hand to the door to knock. She manages to catch the knocker and hit it a few times before it fades to black.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**"Azula, you have come to me for a reason. I do not believe it is just because you need a place to stay. You are far too resourceful to have to rely on others for that." Iroh speaks firmly. **_


	8. Chapter 8

Iroh closes the door to his house and makes his way to the kitchen. The house is larger than he needs for just himself but he likes the large private courtyard and it is always a plus to have extra room when he has visitors.

As he lays out his meal for the night, there is a sound at the door. He hesitates. A visitor this late of night is never a good omen. The door opens to reveal a face he has not seen in years

Iroh is stunned at the sight of his niece. She is crumpled on the stoop of his porch. A thick trail of blood marks her hand's path down his door. Mindful of her injuries he pulls her inside.

"Azula?" He calls to her. She doesn't stir so he assesses her injuries. The blood is soaking her dress and cloak. He has seen a great deal of blood in his time and strong men have been felled by a fraction of what is soaking into the floor of his hallway. Iroh does what he can.

* * *

"She has suffered a great loss of blood." The healer reports as she exits the room Azula is in. "But she is strong and will survive. The dagger did not hit anything major."

Iroh exhales in relief. "I thank you for your help in saving my niece's life." He bows to the elderly woman.

"Anything for a Grand Lotus."The woman bows in return. "Your niece is very lucky! She and the baby will be fine."

Iroh freezes at this pronouncement. "Yes, it is fortunate the baby was not hurt." He remarks absently.

The woman watches him with her blue eyes. "Your niece has recently undergone a great change. It is as if her energy has been bent and smoothed. I've never seen anything like it before."

"She has been troubled for years with mental instability." He supplies considering the information.

"I see she has been touched by a powerful person. Her mental health may have been restored." The healer smiles.

"I will call for you when there is a change." Iroh sees the woman out and returns to Azula's room. She is lying under the white sheets and her face looks so peaceful. It is not like the girl he remembered who was filled with hate and spite.

He knew that as a young girl that Azula was not right in the head. There was something twisted about her and as she grew the instability did as well. Now she has come to him hurt, healed and with child. Iroh sits and waits for her to wake and share her story.

* * *

Consciousness brings awareness of a throbbing pain. Azula gasps as she tries to sit up.

"Aang" she murmurs against the sting.

"You must not move too much, Azula. You have been hurt." Iroh's hands are on her shoulders gently helping her up.

"Uncle." She gasps as she sits up fully. Her hand cradles her stomach and she can feel the bandage moving under the thin dress. Blinking to clear her eyes, the old man comes into view. It all comes back to her: running away from the Southern Air Temple, Ba Sing Se, and the attack. Her eyes fill with tears.

Mistaking the source of her tears, he asks gently. "Are you in much pain?"

Azula shakes her head. "Uncle, I'm sorry." Azula draws in a shuddering gasp. "For trying to kill you. For betraying you. For all of it."

He surprises her by hugging her close. "You are forgiven, Azula."

She clings to him crying into his shoulder and thinking this must be what a father's hug would feel like. In all her life she doesn't remember one time Ozai ever hugged her. His only physical interaction had been the occasional strike.

When she quiets down and pulls back, Iroh considers the woman in front of him.

"You have had a long journey." He pronounces. "For now you need to eat to regain your strength. You lost a great deal of blood."

Once she has had her fill at the table he sits a cup of tea in front of her.

She never appreciated her Uncle's devotion to tea when she was younger but has come to see the simple pleasure in it.

"Azula, your brother has been searching for you for months now."

Bracing herself to tell her story, Azula sits the cup down. "I didn't escape. I was kidnapped by a man named Lao. He wants to use me to get the throne from Zuko."

Iroh makes a small noise but doesn't comment so she continues.

"I was held prisoner until I escaped. Since then I have been staying with a friend." She skims over many of the details of her time gone.

The older man raises an eyebrow at the shortened version. "This must have been a good friend." He observes.

Azula frowns unsure of his meaning. "You could say that." It's not fair to call Aang just a friend but his refusal to help her still stings.

"What happened with you and this friend?" He prompts.

"Oh," she looks down at her tea, "we had a bit of a falling out." A falling out followed by her running away when his back was turned.

"Where is Aang now?" Iroh plays his hand.

She looks up in shock. "How did you know?"

"The healer said your energy had been bent by a powerful person." His smile is kind. "Also, you talk in your sleep." He had just been able to make out the murmurings of the Avatar's name in her sleep.

She blinks back tears. "Last I knew he was going to the Northern Water Tribe."

Iroh assesses the situation. "Should I contact him or do you not want that now?"

Her golden eyes shine at him. "Please not now Uncle."

Uncertain if it is the right path, he nods in agreement. "You cannot avoid him forever, Azula."

Slightly encouraged by Iroh's agreement, she consents. "I know but I can't face him right now." Being so honest leaves her feeling off balance.

His next question stuns her. "Does he know about the baby?"

Her head shoots up at this. "What?"

Iroh grimaces. He suspected his niece was unaware of her condition. "The healer said you were with child and lucky the baby was not injured in the attack."

She runs a hand over her still flat stomach. "I didn't know."

They fall silent in contemplation.

"Azula, you have come to me for a reason. I do not believe it is just because you need a place to stay. You are far too resourceful to have to rely on others for that." Iroh speaks firmly.

Azula looks into her Uncle's eyes. She has to take control back and set her life on the right path. "Please, Uncle, teach me how to Fire Bend. I can't anymore."

He frowns. "I am retired, Azula. The Avatar is a more adept bender than I."

Azula sighs. "He wouldn't help me. He was afraid it would throw off my balance again."

"So you left." Iroh supplies.

She isn't proud of her decision but there were few other options.

"If Aang would not help you, he must have had good reason. It would not be wise to go against what the Avatar decides."

"He refused because he was afraid it would change things between us. Uncle, I am a Fire Bender. I must restore my honor." She pleads with him.

Iroh hums in thought. It reminds him of the early years with Zuko as they travelled the world after his banishment.

"Honor is important." He agrees thoughtfully.

She watches him with hopeful eyes.

"I will help you, Azula, but you must stay here and you must remain hidden. You have many enemies still and I cannot allow you or your child to come to harm."

"Thank you, Uncle. " Azula's smile is genuine and warm.

* * *

A week after leaving, the Southern Air Temple comes into view. He hopes that a week away has improved her mood but he's not confident. Azula has a one track mind and it can be difficult to deter her from what she wants. It is what made her such a formidable opponent.

The temple is silent when they land. He slides off Appa onto the stone floor. Her door is open and a scroll is on the bed. The explanation is short and to the point. Azula will do what she always does and that is to find her own way. He walks out of the room unsure as to his next step.

He could search for her but Azula would not appreciate that right now. He could wait for her to return but if she is looking to rediscover her bending ability then he could be waiting for quite some time. Being alone at the temple does not appeal to him, so he takes Appa's reigns. The best thing to do is to find Commander Lao.

* * *

Iroh observes his niece as she trains in the courtyard of his house. Her form and technique are flawless but she is having difficulty producing the flame she desires. Azula always strove for perfection and in the end that rigid control was her downfall.

"These things take time." Iroh's voice is patient.

Azula huffs. "I never had this problem before." She was always the prodigy, always the best.

"In time you will find your bending is just as powerful as ever, perhaps more so because it is coming from the right source."He has spoken to her at length about Zuko's own difficulty when he joined the Avatar.

"It still shouldn't take this long." She grumbles. She has been here for weeks already.

"You have had enough training for the day. It is time to eat and rest." Iroh encourages.

"Uncle, I'm not ready to stop." Her voice is impatient but respectful. A far cry from the girl he knew.

"You must take it easy, Azula. Your child needs nourishment and rest. You cannot push yourself so hard now." He gently reminds her of her new limitations.

Realizing the wisdom in his words, she relents and follows him inside.

* * *

"Toph, what do you see?" Aang's voice is hushed beside her.

She frowns." It feels like something big is moving but I'm not sure exactly what it is."

"This is getting ridiculous." His frustration is evident.

For weeks they have been searching the Northern Territory for a sign of Lao's army but all they have are vague impressions to go on.

"Let's go back to the others and see what they found out." He stomps away before she has a chance to respond.

* * *

Back at camp, Sokka and Katara are waiting but from the look on their faces they weren't any more successful.

It should be like old times except in all the ways it's not.

Katara is bending bowls of soup while Toph picks her toes. Sokka sharpens the blade of his sword. Aang is sitting at the edge of camp staring up at the night sky. They exchange looks with each other but are unsure of what to say to their friend.

When Aang reappeared, he was sullen and moody. Something had evidently happened but not even Toph could get him to open up. Zuko had darkly pronounced it as woman trouble. Things had not changed in the Fire Nation so they decided to take a more proactive approach and search for the army rather than wait for them to show up. It had not been going well.

"I brought you some soup." Katara's voice interrupts his thoughts as she sits beside him and hands him a bowl.

He gratefully takes it. "Thank you, Katara."

Katara waits until he is finished before she speaks. "Is everything okay?" She has been genuinely worried about her friend. When he returned it was like he had a wall up with all of them.

He's been keeping it all inside and its eating at him. Aang blows out a breath. "No. I made a mistake."

Katara considers this. "What happened?"

When he looks at her, her eyes are wide and earnest. "Are you sure you really want to hear about it?" The last thing he wants to do is to hurt her.

She gives him a soft smile. "Aang I meant it when I said 'it's okay'. I want you to be happy."

"You really mean that don't you?"

Katara nods. "Of course I do, just like you would want me to be happy."

Aang reflects on this. Deciding to take a chance, he says, "I didn't do something she needed me to do because I was being selfish." Trying to be vague is difficult but the details bring trouble.

The surprise shows plainly on her face. "You selfish?" In all their years together that was the last thing she would have said about him.

"I know." He drops his head into his hands.

"Wow, I'm not sure what to say about that." Surely he hasn't really changed that much in two years. "Maybe you can talk to her about it. You know make it right."

"I don't think it will be that easy." He shakes his head. "I don't know that she would forgive me."

Azula and forgiveness do not go together.

"Do you love her?" Katara's voice is soft and when he looks at her, he can see she is serious

He hasn't even said it to Azula yet so he hesitates to confess his feelings to Katara. "Yes."

She smiles at him. "Then you have more to lose by not going after her."

A big part of the problem is that Azula plainly didn't want him going after her. "I don't think that would be a good idea." He almost laughs.

"Why is that?" She is a bit confused by his reaction.

"She might hurt me." Aang breaks into a smile. "She already hit me with a wall. There's no telling what other masonry she might use." He laughs because there isn't anything else to do.

Katara laughs with him.

"You're the Avatar. Surely you can handle it." Katara remarks offhandedly, unknowingly using Azula's own words. "Unless you're saying she can take you?"

Aang sobers at the thought. "Actually she could." It's right there on the tip of his tongue to just confess and tell Katara the whole story.

Katara raises an eyebrow at this. "You're telling me that this girl could best you in a fight?"

He doesn't look at her or answer. Azula has bested him in more ways than one.

"Oh," she isn't sure what it means. "Who is this girl?" Her curiosity is growing.

"Doesn't matter." He brushes her off. "She's gone." He picks his bowl up and stands. "Thanks for the talk and the soup, Katara."

She watches him walk away feeling like she has missed something important.

* * *

Azula stands to stretch, feeling a twinge in her lower back. Her clothes don't fit and she is quite uncomfortable. There are times she wishes the Air Bender was around so she could throw something at him. When she gets her bending back, she may very well shoot a few sapphire fireballs at him just for fun. She stops to look at her rounded stomach in the mirror; lightening it is.

Iroh is gone for the afternoon. He could only leave the tea shop so long without checking in. Most of the past several weeks have been spent with her trying to guide her and help her. Finally at long last she was able to produce orange flames. It's a start but Azula has exacting standards and a reputation to live up too.

She eases her way into the courtyard intent on practicing more but stops short at the door way. Something seems off to her and if Azula has learned anything in her twenty years, it is to trust her instincts. Closing the door she latches it.

"Princess Azula, Welcome back to Ba Sing Se." A voice says from behind her.

* * *

The room is dark but she can feel the chains holding her arms up. She really is growing tired of this. Azula tries to stretch her legs out but they are secured as well. Whoever captured her is intent on her staying put.

The door opens and a shaft of light appears in the room, revealing the dark outline of a man.

"Princess Azula," The all too familiar voice says.

She almost smiles. "Long Feng, it has indeed been a long time."

* * *

"Come on, this way!" Toph yells over her shoulder as she follows the vibrations.

Aang, Sokka, and Katara run after her. They have been following the path for days without anything more than a vague sensation in Toph's feet to go on. Today the vibrations were stronger so they knew they must be getting close.

A wall of rock loomed in front of them. Toph slides up next to it and puts her hands on it. "I can feel them! They must be inside the mountain."

Aang spins his glider out. "I'll take a look."

Once he is in the air he circles around the massive mountain. On the other side he can plainly see an opening and there are men moving back and forth outside of it. He smiles knowing they have found Lao's army.

"The cave system is extensive and seems to have pockets that come up at various places. No wonder they were able to hide from us." Toph's voice holds a tone of awe.

"Why couldn't you pick up on this before?" Sokka asks.

"Too much groundwater." She snaps. It wasn't until she was able to put her hands on the side of the mountain that she could feel how deep it went. The groundwater had been hiding some of their movements from her. "This isn't even the bulk of their army from what I can tell. This is just part of it."

"Can you tell where the rest is?" Katara asks hopefully.

Toph shakes her head.

"We better tell Zuko." Aang sighs as he stands up.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**In the Avatar's eyes, Long Feng sees his death a thousand times over. **_  
_**"I will spare your life for now."Aang says in a low voice only meant for him. "But I leave your future to Azula."**_


	9. Chapter 9

"Great so this guy is using a subterranean cave system to move around undetected." Zuko pushes back in his chair. "This just keeps getting better!" He should be enjoying the birth of his son. Instead he is waiting for his sister to make her appearance.

"It might not be that bad." Sokka tries to cheer him up."We know where one of the openings is so we can start there."

"Except we don't know how big an army is in there." Katara points out.

Zuko looks over at Aang who has again retreated to the balcony. Something is wrong but the man is quiet and has shut out his attempts to get him to speak.

"King Bumi is sending his Earth Benders to help." Toph reports. "I've mapped out the strategic points and we can close off his reinforcements that way."

"That will just leave us with the surface troops." Zuko nods feeling better about the situation already.

The doors open and a messenger rushes in.

Zuko takes the note and lets out a small curse."Someone has tried to poison King Kuei."

"Is he okay?" Katara asks concern etching her voice.

Zuko sighs. "Their healers have done their best but they're asking for you."

Katara is the top healer in the world so of course they would turn to her to help.

"Take Appa." Aang says from just inside the doorway. His gray eyes are wide with unease. They really can't do more right now until they have a better plan anyway.

Katara rushes from the room to head for Ba Sing Se.

* * *

The cell door opens and with practiced ease the men lift her limp body to shackle her for the night. Exhaustion has made her more pliable in the hands of the Dai Li agents she was once in charge of. When she closes her eyes she can still see the glowing light circling. They have tried for a week now to manipulate her but she has proven stronger than their previous subjects.

Azula smirks. She was serious when she told Long Feng that her divine right to rule carried more weight than all his scheming ever could. Her resistance to their methods is proving frustrating to them as they try to bend her to their will. Recently, they have begun to cut her rations. She is so hungry and she can tell it's taking a serious toll on her body but she refuses to let them see how it is getting to her. The reality though is that she is weakening fast.

The fact she is pregnant has saved her in some ways though. There are more creative ways of breaking someone that they are reluctant to use on an obviously pregnant woman. She tries to not consider the idea that she and the baby won't make it out of this.

"Princess," a whispered voice calls to her from the slot in the door.

Pulling herself together as much as she can, she replies in her most regal voice."Yes?"

"There are those of us in the Dai Li that are still loyal to you, Princess."

Azula's smirk grows. "Is that so?" A plan forms.

* * *

Down the hall from her cell, Long Feng considers the situation. Commander Lao has weapons ready to help but in exchange he wants the Fire Nation Princess. Not only does he want her but he wants her compliant. Their usual methods are proving ineffective on her. They need to step it up but at the same time they can't cause her any permanent physical harm. They have to break the princess and soon.

* * *

Aang frowns at the sound of the quacking turtle-ducks. He's trying to meditate by their pond like he used to do but he is finding it difficult. For weeks he has struggled. He knows the reason but there isn't anything he can do about it. The reality is he misses Azula. The pain of her leaving him has not lessened any. He's beginning to think he is cursed to be alone.

A commotion from behind him draws his attention and he gives up trying to meditate for the day. Standing he sees a familiar figure heading for him.

* * *

_It's never ending_, Zuko grimaces. The details just keep getting weirder and weirder.

The Fire Lord looks back at the man in front of him.

"So you're telling me that Azula has been staying with you in Ba Sing Se but now she's been taken?"

Iroh nods gravely. He knows his nephew is upset with him but he had to do what he thought was right.

Sokka and Toph stare in fascination from the sidelines. Behind Iroh, Aang is pacing back and forth.

"We must find her. She is in grave danger." Iroh urges.

"Who took her?" Aang is just barely holding on to his temper right now.

Iroh shrugs. "Azula has many enemies but it is unclear how anyone would know she was there. She never left the house and no one ever came in." He had been very careful to protect her. He watches Aang closely. The young Avatar has not revealed his own connection to the missing Fire Nation Princess but his agitation is apparent.

"She is in a weakened condition," Iroh avoids mention of her pregnancy. "We must find her fast." He truly fears what could befall her and the child at the hands of any number of enemies she has around the world. If it is discovered the child is the Avatar's, then it would only become more dangerous.

"Katara has Appa so that's out." Sokka voices.

Zuko sighs. "Take an airship. It's the next fastest way to travel but I'm not convinced that Azula isn't up to something." He learned quickly to never trust her.

Aang is out the door heading to his room. Iroh follows closely, closing the door to Aang's room.

"You have not told Zuko the whole truth." His voice is soft but the accusation hangs in the air.

Without turning around, Aang volleys back, "You didn't tell him where she was either."

"Azula is eager to prove her worth to you and to Zuko." Tired from his journey, Iroh sinks into one of the plush chairs.

Aang rounds on him, finally given vent to his frustration. "She should have respected my decision to wait to teach her Fire Bending again. You should have too." It's as close to a reprimand as Aang has ever said to the older man.

Iroh sighs in resignation. "I could not refuse her. When she arrived at my house she was hurt and in need of my help."

The look of anger slips from the Avatar's face. "Hurt?"

Iroh nods. "Azula had been attacked and lost a great deal of blood. A healer was able to repair the damage."

Aang lets out a breath of relief.

"Aang, the fate of two nations hang in the balance."

He looks up. "What do you mean?" It is never good when Iroh uses that tone.

"Lao would use Azula to take the throne of the Fire Nation."

"Yes we know that. What about the other nation?" The monk is patient but the riddles are working on his last nerve.

"Azula carries the future of the Air Benders." The old man's eyes gaze up at him.

Aang's breath catches in his chest as he digests the man's words. "You mean…."

"The child will be a powerful Air Bender." Iroh fills in the rest for him.

Slowly Aang sinks into the chair opposite from Iroh and buries his face in his hands.

"She never told me." He whispers trying to grasp the situation.

Iroh reaches over and touches his arm. "She didn't know."

Aang looks up. "Was she happy about it?"

Iroh considers the last several weeks. "Yes and no." He spares the Avatar the details but Aang knows Azula well enough to see the truth in the man's statement. "We must find her soon."

* * *

The palace in Ba Sing Se is quiet at night. Katara walks the hallways feeling restless. She had managed to repair the damage the poison caused in King Kuei and he was now set to recover fully.

She pauses when she hears a sound behind her. Ever since the Fall of Ba Sing Se, she had not felt comfortable in the city. It had shaken her belief in the illusion of safety. The torches in the hallway suddenly go dark, plunging her into darkness. She never sees them coming.

* * *

When her blindfold is removed, Katara glares at the man in front of her.

"How did you get out of prison?" She spits at him.

Long Feng smiles. "I have my ways but for now I need your healing abilities on a very special prisoner. Failure to help will result in your death as well as hers and I'm sure you don't want that."

"I still won't help you."

The man's smile takes on a more sinister turn. "Perhaps the Avatar's sky bison then."

This threat makes her blood run cold. "Fine."

* * *

The cell door swings open and the guards push her inside. A small torch is lit in the room. They have allowed her to keep her water so she can heal. They slam the door shut with the only instruction that their prisoner survive.

Blinking, her eyes begin to adjust to the low light. The figure against the wall is chained and dangling by her wrists. Long black hair obscures the face.

"Hello, are you hurt?" She tries to shove away the feelings of fear.

The figure doesn't move to acknowledge her. As Katara draws closer she can make out the outline of the person better. The sight of the rounded pregnant belly draws at something inside of the Water Bender.

"How fortunate I am to have the greatest healer in the world." It's a voice that has chilled Katara to the bone.

From beneath the mass of black hair, golden eyes gaze up at her. The torch light flickers in them giving her a more evil appearance if possible.

"Azula." Disgust is evident in her voice.

"Katara." Azula returns easily.

"You're their special prisoner? I thought the Dai Li were on your side." She can't resist taunting the fallen woman.

Azula makes a noise that almost sounds like a laugh. "Long Feng needs me alive. My only part in this is to be a pawn."

Katara does laugh. "If you think I'm going to believe that you are just a pawn in this, then you really are crazy."

Azula glares at her as best she can. "If you're here then the Avatar can't be far behind. He's always chasing you." The words hold less venom in them than Azula would like but she is so tired she can't summon the energy.

Katara's blue eyes watch her carefully. "Aang is busy in the Fire Nation looking for you."

Azula manages a laugh but it pulls at one of her injuries drawing a gasp instead. Katara steps forward feeling concern for this woman.

"They told me to heal you. Where are you hurt?" She tries to stay on task.

Azula looks up at her."Don't bother. They're afraid they will kill me before they break me. I won't let them have the satisfaction."

It's dramatic, desperate and more emotional than she ever thought Azula would be.

"What about your baby?" There has to be something that will appeal to the Princess.

Azula becomes serious and her gaze softens. "Alright, Water Bender, do what you can."

Katara slowly approaches her as if she thinks Azula will suddenly lash out at her. Gently she pushes the long black mane back. She tries to not make a face at the bruising.

"That bad?" Azula's voice has a hint of amusement to it.

Katara doesn't reply and soon the humming of the blue water fills the air.

As she works her way down, she becomes aware of the other presence. She frowns at the feel of the child but the woman has already passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

Katara steps back as the guards bring Azula back in again. The princess is so exhausted she can't even walk anymore so they drag her in and out. She dangles like a rag doll from the chains and barely responds to Katara's voice anymore.

"Come on, Azula. You have to eat something." She begs the wilted woman, trying to get her to drink soup from the bowl.

For days it has been the same pattern. As much as Katara hated and feared Azula she can only feel sympathy for her now. Azula has a strength inside of her to resist their attempts to control her and Katara can respect that. However, she can tell the princess is losing this battle and fast.

She tries to keep her alert and talking "Azula, who is the father?" There is something so familiar to this.

The stoic princess gives nothing away. "The father is irrelevant." Her voice is a bare whisper.

Katara ignores her and continues to focus on the child. Her blue eyes spark with enlightenment.

"Oh, oh wow." She steps back stunned. "How?" Katara is able to sense the bending ability of the baby but only one other person has an energy like that.

Azula's stare is unwavering. "You still love him." It's not a question.

Still shocked, Katara shakes her head. "Only as a friend. You're the girl from Ember Island?" The odd actions and behavior clicking into place.

Azula draws in a deep breath but doesn't answer. Her shoulders burn from being upright for so long.

"The least they could do is let me lie down." She grumbles avoiding the question.

"Aang said he made a mistake and he was being selfish." Katara replies thoughtfully.

Azula hums at this. "He's fortunate I'm trying to turn my life around." The unspoken threat lingers.

Katara lets out a laugh. "Tell me about this wall?"

Azula lets out a very unprincess like snort.

* * *

"Katara," Azula's voice is hushed, "Soon a guard will come by with a uniform. You will take it and make your escape. Just follow his lead and you can get out of here." It's the most she has spoken in days. She has been planning this escape for some time and was surprised to find she has a few supporters amongst the Dai Li agents still.

"Azula, I'm not leaving you behind." Katara honestly isn't sure the princess can take any more.

"There will only be room for one. You must do this."As much as Azula wants out of this prison, she knew as soon as Katara was brought here that she wouldn't be able to leave.

"There has to be another way." Katara is reluctant to leave. They have been in this together and she feels a sense of protectiveness.

"There isn't."Azula has looked over it from every angle.

"You won't last much longer without me." Katara warns.

"No, I won't." She agrees, "Long Feng will break me, turn me over to Lao, and you can tell that Air Bender to come to my rescue." Sometimes the right path is the wrong one.

A quick knock at the door startles her.

"That's your signal." Azula's voice is tired. She doesn't honestly think she could walk out of here on her own anyway.

"Azula, I can't!" Katara protests.

Her golden eyes suddenly burn fierce at the Water Bender. "You will! What use do you think they will have for you when I'm gone? Long Feng will kill you. You have to find Aang and tell him." Azula's voice softens again having been weakened by this ordeal.

There isn't a point in arguing with Azula anymore."I will." Katara quickly dons the uniform from the guard.

"See Master Katara out of here safely." Azula's voice is abruptly strong and commanding.

The guard bows, "Yes, Princess."

"Thank you, Azula. I'll find him and we'll come for you." Katara murmurs casting a last glance at the forlorn woman.

As the door slides shut, Azula slumps against her chains. A dark sense of foreboding hangs over her.

* * *

After ducking patrols for days, Katara finally breathes the air of freedom. The tunnel she took comes out in the woods beyond the walls of Ba Sing Se. Quickly removing the disguise she rushes into the city.

She finds the stable and is relieved to see Appa happily munching on the hay. Long Feng's threats to the sky bison were unfounded. The palace is quiet but she finds her way to the throne room. A thrum of voices fills the air but she can easily pick out the irritated voice of the Avatar.

She pushes the door open and the arguments cease.

"Katara," It's amazing how his voice always has that warm tone when speaking her name.

She is wrapped up in a flash of orange and yellow as he hugs her close. "We were so worried about you! What happened?" He sets her down but doesn't let go of her.

Looking into his wide gray eyes, she almost starts to cry. "Aang, Its Long Feng. He has her."

His eyes darken and she can feel the tension in his arms. "Where?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not sure. The tunnel I took came out beyond the walls. Aang, he's turning her over to Lao."

A shadow passes over his face and she unconsciously braces herself for his reaction.

He draws a calming breath though. "Show me."

* * *

Katara and Iroh try to keep up with Aang as he barrels down the tunnels easily overwhelming any resistance. Behind them the soldiers of Ba Sing Se arrest the Dai Li left sprawled by the Air Bender.

The cell stands empty.

Without a word, Aang turns away and continues down the tunnels until he finds who he is looking for.

The rest of the rogue Dai Li agents have been rounded up. Aang's eyes find the man he is looking for. It's there just under the surface.

Katara resists the urge to turn away from the rage and pain in her friend's eyes. His eyes flash white but she clings to him, trying to reassure him that they will find Azula, but her voice is lost in the rushing winds.

Long Feng's eyes fill with fear at the sight of the Avatar unleashed. The winds whip around him causing the soldiers about him to back away, shielding their faces.

Just as sudden, the winds stop and Long Feng falls to his knees. His face contorts and he begins to struggle for breath.

Katara stares perplexed at the sight until she looks back at the Avatar. The eerie glow in the room begets understanding. Air Benders control the very air, even the absence of air. She pulls at him with renewed vigor.

"Aang, don't do this!" She pleads as her tears begin to fall. "He can tell us where she is!"

The cavern is unnaturally quiet as the others watch. Long Feng doesn't even make a sound as he crumples to the ground.

"If you would not take Ozai's life, then do not take his." Iroh's ever patient voice cuts in.

Suddenly, Long Feng gasps, drawing in a lungful of air. Before he can draw another though, Aang is upon him, slamming him against the wall.

The glow fades from Aang's eyes as he holds the man in place.

"Where is she?" His voice has an unnerving calm but his gray eyes are murderous.

Long Feng struggles. "I turned her over to Lao. He returned to the Fire Nation."

In the Avatar's eyes, Long Feng sees his death a thousand times over.

"I will spare your life for now."Aang says in a low voice only meant for him. "But I leave your future to Azula."

He steps away dropping Long Feng carelessly to the ground.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**"Aang is a boy I have watched grow into a man and I have come to think of him as one of my own. The Avatar is an outside concept, an idea that frightens me. It is just easier to draw a line between the two." Iroh does not want to accept the path that Aang is walking down now. The deceit and near murder have struck a chord in the old man. Aang may bring out the best in Azula but she may not bring out the best in Aang. "If Azula is not recovered safely, I worry what the Avatar may do." **_


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Sorry this is taking so long but work has interfered with my writing. I do hope you are enjoying reading so far.**

Lao watches the woman in front of him. She is relaxed yet regal in her chair as she delicately nibbles from her plate. The epitome of royalty and yet something nags at him about the situation. When Long Feng sent word of her capture, Lao was pleased to be one step closer to the throne. However, she is not what he expected. Long Feng left out many details.

"Azula, you have yet to answer my question." He says with a false sense of patience.

She ignores him and continues with her meal.

"Azula, "he prompts, more impatiently this time.

Nothing.

He slams his hand on the table causing the dinnerware to bounce and clang. Her golden eyes turn to him.

"That is Princess Azula to you, Lao." She says dismissively.

Lao grits his teeth. He liked it better when she was strapped to a table screaming curses at him.

"Princess Azula," he strives to keep a civil tone with her, "Please answer my question."

She settles back in her chair resting her hands across her round belly.

"You're a man of the world, Lao, I'm sure you know how these things happen." Her face is blank waiting for him.

He stares at the infuriating woman in a way that has made even generals cringe but it has little effect on the princess before him.

"It is quite untraditional for a wife to be pregnant with another man's child."

Azula smirks at him. "I'm not your wife."

He glowers at her. "You will be and I will not have my wife whelping another man's bastard."

The color of her eyes darken. "As a Princess of the Fire Nation, it is my responsibility to ensure that I have an heir worthy of the throne. " One of her many insults to him had been his low status and how he was innately unworthy of her and the Fire Nation throne.

The jab at his common lineage has him out of the chair. "Who is it?"

Her smirk widens into a glowing smile. "A powerful bender. More powerful than you ever hope to be, Lao."

The taunts have the desired effect and he rounds the table, arm raised.

His hand never connects though and he finds himself brought to his knees. Her dainty hand twisting his. A fiery pain rushes up his arm and her golden eyes sparkle at him.

"That is no way to treat royalty. You will do well to remember that before I give you a lesson worthy of Ozai."

The guards step forward uncertain and nervous. Azula pushes him back from her and she calmly returns to her meal as if nothing happened. She pointedly ignores his surprised expression.

"You should consider hitting the coastal cities. Zuzu won't be expecting that."

Lao stands eyeing her.

Before he can speak, she waves him off, "The navy won't be a concern. They are busy patrolling closer to Caldera."

"We will continue this later, Princess." Lao stalks from the room.

She finishes her meal with a smile.

* * *

The guards stop at her bedroom door. She pretends to ignore the extra security. Lao has no intention of letting her escape again. Her room is not what she would like it to be but it has a few amenities. It's more than one can expect out of a small village. She steps just past the threshold of the balcony, seemingly gazing at the setting sun.

"Princess Azula, the Dai Li stand ready to serve." A quiet voice from above greets her.

"Take this message to my brother." She holds her hand up as if stretching.

"Yes, Princess."

The slip of paper in her hand disappears as the man makes his way along the outside of the building.

Azula enjoys the sight of the setting sun.

* * *

"Lao has hit here." Zuko points to one of the coastal cities. "We weren't expecting it so he took the city quickly." The Firelord shakes his head."There's nothing of value there."The man's tactics defy logic.

Iroh peers closer at the map. "He needs a base of operations and since it holds little value it was also not very well protected. It was an easy target."

Zuko slumps back in his chair. "I can't protect every city. My forces will be spread too thin."

"You are right, Zuko." Iroh agrees "Let Lao spread his forces thin and you can overwhelm him."

Zuko sighs."I don't know how big his force is. For all I know there could be more soldiers moving around in the caves."

Silence falls between the two men.

"What did Lao give Long Feng?" Zuko asks in the silence. He has no love for his sister but the idea of her being traded leaves him feeling cold.

Iroh looks down. "Long Feng traded Azula for weapons but they were all destroyed by the Avatar."

Zuko watches his Uncle closely. Over the years he has become accustomed to reading the old man's thoughts on his face.

"What happened down there Uncle?" The details had been glossed over in the reports. Aang was unusually silent.

"The Avatar would have killed Long Feng had Katara and I not stopped him. Though I am not convinced he won't still after this is all over." Iroh admits slowly.

The Fire Lord is silent. "If Aang wouldn't kill Ozai, why would he kill Long Feng?"

Ozai was far more deserving of death but Aang had spared his life and continued to defend the decision despite the objections of many leaders, including Zuko.

When Iroh looks back at him, he can see the age in the man's eyes. "The Avatar has his reasons."

Zuko frowns at the use of title from a man that rarely stands on ceremony. "Why do you keep calling him the Avatar? Why not just Aang?"

"Aang is a boy I have watched grow into a man and I have come to think of him as one of my own. The Avatar is an outside concept, an idea that frightens me. It is just easier to draw a line between the two." Iroh does not want to accept the path that Aang is walking down now. The deceit and near murder have struck a chord in the old man. Aang may bring out the best in Azula but Azula may not bring out the best in Aang. "If Azula is not recovered safely, I worry what the Avatar may do."

"What does it have to do with Azula?" Zuko has known something is not quite right.

"You must speak to him about this, Zuko."

* * *

During his time here, Aang has come to appreciate the ceiling of his room. Sleep has eluded him for weeks now.

A knock at the door draws his attention.

"Yes?" he calls out.

He sighs when he sees the familiar head of the Fire Lord appear. Iroh is close behind.

Aang looks from one man to the other. Zuko is anxious while Iroh is just sad.

"What's going on?" Aang pushes the covers off as he stands.

"It is time to tell Zuko the truth." Iroh voices.

From beside him Zuko shoots them both a glare. The Fire Lord is growing tired of the secrets.

Aang has hoped for and dreaded this moment. He stares at Iroh."If we're going to do this, then we should tell the others too." It is best to face them all at once. Katara is still trying to comprehend the situation and she only knows a fraction.

Sokka, Toph, Mai, and Katara are roused and assembled. The hour is late but no one was sleeping anyway.

"It seems that there are some things I'm being kept in the dark about." Zuko turns to Iroh and Aang.

Iroh grimaces. "Azula is not the enemy." He holds his hand up at the protests. "It is important that she is brought back unharmed. Lao intends to marry her and challenge Zuko for the throne in an Agni Kai."

"If Azula isn't the enemy then why would she let him do that?" Mai speaks up. Azula has never been one to sit back and let others take the lead.

"Long Feng was trying to brainwash her."Katara's voice is sad. "Maybe he finally succeeded." Leaving Azula has left the Water Bender with guilt.

"When Lao took her from prison he tried to coerce her too." Aang says. "Toph, the room we found was where he kept Azula."

"You mean that was her blood?" Toph has yet to be able to forget that smell.

Aang nods. "She managed to escape and made it to Ember Island." He waits letting the words sink in.

It clicks for Zuko first. "You mean the girl you were with on Ember Island was Azula?"

"Yes." Aang's gaze is unwavering.

"I can't believe this." Zuko turns away and begins to pace. "The whole time I've been worried about Azula, she was with you!"

"Tell him the rest." Iroh gently prods.

"There's more?" Zuko rounds on him, eyes wide with disbelief.

"She isn't a threat to you Zuko. Azula honestly doesn't want the throne." Aang tries to reassure him.

"Azula always lies." Zuko reminds him.

"Not this time." Aang argues back.

'Princess Azula wants to redeem herself and prove herself worthy of the Fire Lord and the Avatar." Iroh steps in breaking the tension between the two men.

Zuko steps back. "I don't believe it. Azula will turn on us the first chance she has. Aang, how can you stand up for her when she's already tried to kill you once?"

Aang gives a dark laugh. "She's had plenty of chances since then." He turns away with his back to the rest of them, trying to compose himself.

A knock at the door brings relief from the somber mood.

"This man bares a message for the Fire Lord." The guards lead in a Dai Li agent.

The man bows and holds out the scroll of paper to Zuko, who picks it up and reads over the flowing script.

"It's from Azula. It's a summary of Lao's forces."

Aang walks closer to him.

"Well that's helpful." Toph interjects.

"I'm not sure." Zuko says absently. "It could be a trick."

Aang glares at Zuko before turning his attention to the Dai Li agent. "You've spoken to Azula?"

The man nods.

"How is she?" The Avatar's voice is soft. "Is Lao treating her well?"

The man considers. "They argued this morning. The Princess refused to answer Lao's question."

"About what?" Zuko steps in curious.

The man hesitates. "About the Princess' condition."

"What condition?" Zuko bites out.

"About whom the father of her child is."

They are stunned into silence.

"Wait, you're telling us that Azula is pregnant?" Sokka is first to recover from the shock. "Who would want to get that close to her?"He starts to laugh but Katara smacks him in the arm. "What was that for?" He whines.

Aang throws a glare at the Water Tribe warrior.

"No way." Toph says in a low voice, piecing it together. "Twinkletoes and Azula?"

Sokka sits up. "You?"

The Dai Li agent's face lights up."She said he was a powerful bender but I never considered it was the Avatar."

"If he finds out the truth, he will use that against us." Iroh offers.

Zuko stares at him. "You and my sister?"

Aang sighs. "Yes."

Sokka stifles a laugh. "What is it with you and sisters?" Earning another smack from Katara.

Toph mutters, "So glad I'm an only child."

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this?" Zuko genuinely sounds hurt. "I've been worried for months."

"What was I suppose to say?" Aang is irritated. He doesn't like having all this brought out into the open.

"Well you could have said, 'Hey Zuko, Don't worry about Azula cause I have her chained to my bed in the Air Temple.'" Mai snorts at Zuko's sarcastic answer.

Aang gives him a pleading look. "And what would you have said if I had?"

Zuko stops to consider this."I don't know but I'm not happy about any of this."

"The point is that Lao has her now." Katara points out.

Zuko turns back to the agent. "Thank you."

The agent bows and departs from the room.

"When this is all through, I may very well punch you."Zuko warns.

Aang nods solemnly. "I wouldn't blame you."

* * *

"You and Azula…that explains a lot." Toph is sitting beside him on the balcony.

"It just kinda happened." Aang grasps for words.

The others have long since left leaving just them.

"Like you never noticed her before."Toph laughs.

Aang grimaces. "She was always trying to kill me." He noticed but it is a bit difficult to appreciate a woman's beauty when she is shooting lightning bolts.

"So you like it rough." She deadpans.

"Toph, I am not having this conversation with you." Aang tries to be dignified.

"Ozai is like your father-in-law." Toph snorts. "The Loser Lord is just going to love hearing this!"

"Toph" Aang says tiredly.

The Earth Bender ignores him. "You'll never be rid of Zuko."

Aang drops his head into his hand groaning.

"You realize there is a 50/50 chance your kids could be Fire Benders bent on world domination?"

"Well that won't happen." Aang gives in to his friend's need to torment him.

"Okay, so maybe Air Benders bent on world domination." Toph laughs again.

"Taking over the world one fruit pie at a time." Aang joins her in laughing.

They quiet down.

"So do you love her?" Toph asks seriously.

"Yes." Aang doesn't hesitate. "I didn't want to keep it from anyone but I really didn't know what to say."

"I think Zuko had that pegged right. You should have just told us what was going on."

"Yeah that would have gone over really well." Aang says dryly.

"Sugar Queen seems to have taken it well."

"Katara spent some time with Azula in Ba Sing Se." Aang pauses. "I nearly killed Long Feng."

Toph turns to him with a look of surprise. "Seriously?"

"If it hadn't been for Katara and Iroh, I would have."

"If that's how you reacted to Long Feng, then what are you going to do to Lao?"

Aang doesn't answer her.

**Next Chapter: **

**A cold feeling settles over her at his words. "You won't break me."**

**"I don't need to break you, Azula. I just want to hear you scream." **


	11. Chapter 11

Azula bites her lip and focuses on breathing deep. _Knowledge is nothing without experience_, one of her Fire Bender teachers had relentlessly drilled into her. The teacher couldn't have been more right.

She doesn't cry out from the pain although she feels as if she is being ripped apart from the inside. She expected this. She knew it would hurt but she has to keep it quiet. It has to stay secret.

Her captors can't know and Azula is an expert at keeping secrets.

It isn't until hours into her labor that the old woman finally makes her appearance. No matter how good a liar Azula is she can't hide the evidence of labor. The old woman's blue eyes are sad and she nods in understanding as she closes the door behind her.

The old woman has been appointed as a sort of servant to the Princess but the woman has developed a fondness for her charge. It is a sympathy born from the understanding of being taken from home and imprisoned. She doesn't even remember the feel of snow under her feet anymore.

The labor is not progressing well. The old woman has seen this far too often and nearly every time the results are the same. She has borne witness to children too young to take a breath being buried with mothers that drew their last. It is something she wishes she had lost count of but that would be a lie. She remembers every face and she still mourns the ones she couldn't save.

Azula knows something is wrong but she doesn't order the woman to tell her. She doesn't need anyone to confirm what her body already knows but if anything, Azula is a fighter, and she draws upon a deep reservoir of strength honed through generations of elite breeding. It is sufficient and the soft cry breaks the air.

The old woman breaks into a smile as she lifts the tiny child and wipes him clean. He is wrapped in a bundle and placed upon Azula's chest. Large gray eyes stare back at his mother.

"He will be a powerful bender." The old woman rasps out beside her. Her healing abilities are not refined but sufficient enough to sense the energy in others.

Azula's heart skips a beat. "What sort of bender?"

"An Air Bender." The woman presses her lips into a thin line. The secret they had been seeking is finally out. It does nothing to settle the feeling of anxiety in the old woman's chest. Lao is a man that is ruthless and cruel. He would use the Avatar's own son against him.

The Princess knows this as well and her golden eyes seek out the remaining Dai Li agent, Jian, hidden in the shadows. His partner, Wei, had already been dispatched to the palace with a message for Zuko and should be on his way back.

Jian approaches with a low bow.

"You must take my son to his father at the Fire Lord's palace. Protect him with your life."

The man hesitates; worry filling his bright green eyes. "What about you, Princess?"

Azula looks down at the baby as she strokes his tiny hand. "I am in no condition to travel. Tell Aang that I am sorry." The implication in her words belies the cold tone of her voice.

Without another word she hands off the bundle to Jian. With a long look at her the man bows and moves to the window. The old woman follows giving him instructions for the baby as the journey will be long.

"Will she be okay?" He interrupts, concern coloring his voice.

The old woman shakes her head. "Only time will tell."

With a last look at the woman in the bed, Jian says, "Princess Azula is strong. She will overcome this." His voice has a confidence that he does not quite feel.

She smiles at him. "I hope you are right."

* * *

Days later, the Fire Nation Palace comes into sight and Jian wearily bows to the guards begging an audience with the Avatar. They eye the bundle in his arms suspiciously, more so when it begins to cry.

The room he is brought to is luxuriously decorated but large and imposing all the same. Jian has not slept since leaving Ga Nai but he fights to stay alert now. The doors burst open as they pour in. Eyes wide and alert though tinged with exhaustion.

The Fire Lord sees him first and glares but the Earth Bender's gaze is reserved only for the Avatar. He kneels before the man and offers the squirming bundle.

"Princess Azula bade me to bring your son to you."

The Avatar's eyes are wide but he takes the child with gentle hands, gaze fixed upon the small being.

"She asked me to tell you that she is sorry."

"Where is Azula now?" The Fire Lord asks from behind him.

"She was unable to travel." Jian figures it is best to say as little about the Princess' condition as possible.

"Is she okay?" The Avatar demands.

Jian meets the man's eyes. "I don't know."

A dark skinned blue eyed woman draws near to him. "I'm sure she's fine, Aang."

It is clear the Air Bender is stunned by these turn of events. "Did…did she give him a name?"

"No," he answers and the Earth Bender can't help but feel a stab of sympathy. Jian's not sure which is more tragic: a child without a name or a child without a mother.

The Fire Lord surprises him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

The Dai Li agent nods his head. "I serve the Princess."

"You must be exhausted." The Fire Lord says as he opens the door to signal a servant. "Rest and eat. We can speak later."

Obediently he rises and follows a servant out the door. With a last look behind him, Jian sees the group crowd around the small child as the door closes.

* * *

Words are not enough. The baby meets his gaze head on and doesn't look away. Aang runs one finger over the baby's forehead and feels his knees almost give out.

It's an energy that has been gone for far too long from this world and he nearly thought he would never feel it again.

"Aang?" Katara's worried voice calls to him.

"He's an Air Bender." The quiet of his voice travels in the silent room. He sinks into one of the chairs staring at the child in his arms.

Katara suspected as much and the look she throws Zuko confirms he did too. Sokka and Toph wait on the sidelines, scarcely breathing.

The baby begins to cry, face reddening in his anger.

"He's hungry." Mai says. She has become quite adept at deciphering the needs of infants. "Let me take him."

Zuko catches her eye with a look of thanks.

Aang is slower to agree but with a nod from Katara, he relents and hands the baby over.

Once the Fire Lady disappears from the room, the others collapse into the seats.

Toph focuses on the feel of heartbeats in her friends. They are all so tired and stressed that sleep has escaped them for some time. Aang concerns her the most. At first his heartbeat had fluttered wildly and now it is slow and steady. Twinkletoes is working up to something. She can feel it in her feet.

When he stands, everyone is surprised but Toph. They all stare at him with wide eyes, matching looks of concern on their faces.

"I'm ending this."

"What do you mean?" Katara objects. She's always the first to show concern for any one of them.

"I'm going to find Lao and bring Azula home."

* * *

It's days before the fever clears enough for Azula to open her eyes and focus on the old woman beside her bed. She blinks trying to place her but her brain is slow in supplying the necessary information. The old woman for her part smiles and dabs her forehead and cheeks with a cool wet cloth.

"You've been very ill, Princess."

"I have?" Azula feels disconnected from her body, like it belongs to someone else. "What happened?"

"You have been running a very high fever. I wasn't sure if you would come out of it."

Azula's eyes drift close. There is the feel of something out of place. Weakly her hand slides down over her stomach. Azulas eyes snap open and she begins to look around the room.

"Shhh," The old woman shushes her, pushing gently on her shoulders. "You had a son."

Azula lies back on the bed and sucks in a deep breath of air. "Where is he?"

"You sent him to his father at the palace. That lovely man from the Earth Kingdom delivered him personally." The trip is long and Jian has yet to return but she leaves that out. The Princess has enough to worry about. Wei, the other Dai Li agent, had returned not long after his partner left. He said the trip was long and difficult.

Azula relaxes. The two Dai Li agents hide in the shadows and are determinedly loyal to her still.

"He's with Aang."

"Yes." The old woman nods. "Lao does not know. As far as he knows you have miscarried."

The Commander had been less than respectful of the Princess's illness and had been prowling around demanding the old woman do something.

"That was very wise of you." Azula allows. She must maintain a sense of distance and logic about this. "Was he healthy?"

"Very, Princess. You may not remember but your son is an Air Bender."

Azula closes her eyes at this. "Then I did the right thing sending him to the Avatar." She tries to not think about how Aang must have taken the news. She hopes that he is happy. "What is your name?" In all this time Azula has not bothered to ask and the old woman has not offered.

"Lena." She answers simply.

Azula turns to look at her, really look at her instead of glossing over her like she does with servants. The woman's eyes are a deep shade of blue.

"You aren't Fire Nation."

Lena smiles. "No, I was born in the Southern Water Tribe but captured during a raid when I was very young."

"Water Bender?"

The old woman shrugs. "I never learned much. I can barely do any healing but I feel the pull of the Moon when she is full."

The Princess looks away as tears come to her. "Her name is Yue."

Lena stares after the woman. Her patience is rewarded when the Princess turns back to her, golden eyes shiny with tears. "The moon spirit was killed and Yue, the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe gave her life so the spirit might live again. She became the moon spirit herself."

"The night the moon disappeared." Lena says as the pieces click together. It was the night that it seemed the bottom of the world dropped out from underneath her but it had only lasted for a short time before the moon was returned to her rightful place in the night sky.

"Yes."The Princess slowly sits up in bed and looks around. "I must get out of here."

"You are in no condition to travel." The Princess is still very weak and while the fever has abated for now that does not mean it will stay that way.

Lena is unprepared for the sudden fire in the woman's eyes. "I will not stay here and marry that man so he can try to take my brother's throne."

"It is too late. He forced the Fire Sage to perform the ceremony when you were still feverish." It was perhaps one of the more dishonorable acts she has seen the commander commit in her time as a servant to him.

"That isn't legal." Azula says flatly, stunned by the news.

"No, but neither is rebelling against the Fire Lord and kidnapping his sister." Lao calls from the doorway.

Both women turn to glare at the intrusion but Lao is unconcerned.

"You can't challenge Zuko to an Agni Kai based on a lie." Azula bites out.

"And just what will he do about it?" Lao challenges as he steps closer to her.

"Do not underestimate Zuko." There is a slight threat in her voice.

Rage flares in the man's amber eyes and his fist clenches. It is easy to decipher what he is thinking. He takes a breath though and steps back.

"The Fire Lord will fall and you will be returned to your rightful place at last." His words are sticky sweet and all lies.

Azula squares herself to face him. "Zuko does not stand alone. He has powerful friends that will stand by his side." She does not mention that she would be the first to put an end to Lao's dreams of conquest. Now is not her time though as even now though she can feel the weakness in her limbs. The desire to sleep is so strong.

"In an Agni Kai no one else can interfere. You know that don't you, Azula? Isn't that how you lost the throne to Zuko in the first place?" Lao is circling around the room as he taunts her.

Azula takes a deep breath and looks up at the ceiling. "The Avatar will keep balance in the world." It hurts to even mention him but she refuses to let this man gain any ground.

"Ah, yes, the Avatar." Lao stops at the foot of her bed and strokes his beard considering. "Avatars have died before, besides he's an Air Bender. They're all about peace and harmony. He has no reason to get involved with Fire Nation business."

Azula laughs. "Is that what you think?"

Lao narrows his eyes at her but doesn't answer.

"Aang has every reason to be involved and don't underestimate him either. He took down Ozai when he was only twelve. Just imagine what he can do now." There is a strong sense of satisfaction in her voice.

Lao hesitates at the sound of her voice. "You sound rather proud of the man that defeated your father."

"You should just know what you are up against, Lao. The throne won't be mine and it won't be yours." There is a hard edge in her voice matched by the one in her eyes.

The smile on Lao's face is the same he wore in that cave all those months ago. "Now that you are recovered, Princess, it's time to reacquaint you with some old friends."

A cold feeling settles over her at his words. "You won't break me."

"I don't need to break you, Azula. I just want to hear you scream."

**Next Chapter:**

**Azula's first thought is the chill. It's cold, too cold. The last time she felt like this she had lost her bending. Her thoughts race in a blind fury at the thought that she has, yet again, lost what is most important to her.**


	12. Chapter 12

Katara finds Aang in the nursery. The faint light of the moon pours in casting a blue light. He doesn't make any indication that he notices her but she knows he has. Stopping to stand beside him she looks down in the crib at the small bundle. Soft breaths are the only sounds in the room.

They convinced Aang to wait until morning so he could rest and so the exhausted Dai Li agent, Jian, could give them whatever information he has.

"I can't sleep." He still doesn't look at her though.

She's not sure any of them have been able to. "Me either."

The baby draws a shuddering breath.

"He's only a week old."

Katara nods. Azula most likely barely had enough time to hold the baby before she had to send him away. Katara isn't sure she could have done the same.

"What will you name him?" She strives to find something a bit more cheerful to focus on.

"I don't know. That's something we should do together." Aang's voice has the same absent quality it had when Appa was taken and he had just totally shut down emotionally.

"You'll find her, Aang."

"What if I don't?"

Katara pauses. Aang is usually so optimistic it is blinding, except for in times like this when he finally lets his worries and concerns overtake him. It's a side that usually only she is privy to seeing.

"Then she'll find you."

* * *

The room is small and cramped. The table takes up most of the space. The metal cuffs cut into her wrists and ankles but her focus is on the old man that stares at her.

"Princess, it is a pleasure to see you again." His voice croaks.

"It would be best if you didn't speak." Azula orders him with a glare. "The sound of your voice is torture enough."

"Of course, Princess." The man smiles as he lays out his tools on a small table. "We haven't much time as Commander Lao wants quick results this time. Do try and cooperate."

A fission of fury races through her. "The only thing Lao wants is for me to suffer so get on with it."

The old man's head bobs. "As you wish, Princess."

The fact they are alone in the room works to her advantage. Lao prefers to stop in when she is at the peak of her suffering. The man has quite the sadistic streak. However, last time she was in this position, she lacked her bending but now it overflows in abundance despite the exhaustion she feels from her illness. It has been a well kept secret of Azula's.

Before the old man even turns around with the first instrument in hand, Azula has the cuffs heated and popped off. He never has a chance to cry out as she soundlessly snaps his neck and gently lays him on the cold floor.

A wave of dizziness washes over her and she closes her eyes to let it pass. Giving birth and being ill have taken their toll. When Azula opens her eyes, she looks around the corner at the men standing guard. Stealth is needed. No matter how elite a bender Azula is, she can't take on all the men in Lao's command in her weakened state but, if anything, the Princess is resourceful.

Eyeing the table of sharp implements that were meant for her, Azula smirks as she takes her pick. The guards never see their end coming.

Growing up as she did, Azula was trained in the art of secrecy. She uses this now as she makes her way down the darkened corridors. At one junction, Azula pauses and waits. Her patience is rewarded.

The Dai Li agent, Wei, seemingly comes out of nowhere. "Princess, this way."

Azula follows Wei albeit slower than his quick pace. Exhaustion bites at the edges of her awareness.

"Where is Lena?"

Wei slows to let her draw near. "She is waiting outside with supplies. We must hurry if you can."

Azula nods. She won't be here any longer than she has to be.

Lena is indeed waiting outside and the old woman smiles in relief upon seeing the Princess.

"Are you hurt?" Her blue eyes shine in the light of the moon.

Azula leans against a tree but shakes her head. The old woman moves closer pressing a cool hand to her forehead.

"She's burning up again." The fever had only abated for a short time.

"We have to keep going." Azula cuts off further protests. "How far to Caldera? " She would have preferred to stay and take out Lao herself but that would be foolish since her fever is already returning.

"Several days travel, more so since we have no transport." The Dai Li agent obediently answers. Wei does not mention that ducking patrols will add to their time.

Azula gives a sigh. "Let's go." Lao will have to wait.

* * *

They are not making good time. Azula wishes they could blame it on Lena. The woman is ancient and slow moving but in reality it is Azula that is slowing them down. The fever is back with a vengeance and they frequently have to stop to allow her to rest and for Lena to try to cool her down before it gets too high. Her steps are uneven and she stumbles more than she likes. Lena warns that if it gets too high that there could be serious repercussions. Azula ignores her. There are some things a princess has no control over. It's a disconcerting admission.

For days they duck Lao's patrols and follow the vague direction towards Caldera. During the heat of the day they hide in earth tents made to blend in with the landscape. At night, they travel under the cover of darkness. Rest does not come easy to Azula.

* * *

"Something big is going on." Zuko says as he reads the newest message sent by hawk. "Lao has increased patrols and they are going deep into the surrounding jungle."

"Maybe he's scouting for his next attack." Sokka suggests from his place by the fire.

"That doesn't make sense," Zuko shakes his head. "If he's planning to challenge me to an Agni Kai, then he doesn't need to take any more cities. There aren't any near Ga Nai anyway." Small villages dot the landscape but nothing major.

They fall silent contemplating this. Ga Nai is a few days travel by Appa from Caldera so they have stopped to rest by a large lake in a clearing of the jungle.

"He's looking for something." Toph chimes in. "Or more likely someone."

No one wants to say it. They have been walking on eggshells around Aang.

The man in question doesn't respond from his place on the edge of the group. The baby had been left with Mai. All Jian, the Dai Li agent, had been able to feed him was goat's milk which is not ideal but with proper nutrition he should be fine. That and the fact the fate of the child's mother is unknown does not rest well on the Air Bender.

* * *

"Princess, there is a lake ahead." Wei whispers to the sleeping woman when he returns from scouting ahead.

When Azula doesn't respond, he glances at Lena who moves forward to feel her forehead. It's near scorching.

"How far is it?" Lena asks, concern etching her voice.

The look on his face tells her it is nearly too far to carry Azula. "It will be slow going." Wei offers. The Dai Li agent is fighting his own exhaustion from traveling for days and concern for the two women.

Together they struggle to get the unconscious Princess upright and move her forward. It is not an easy task. While Azula may be small in build, she is deadweight.

Toph spreads her toes into the dirt and feels for the tremors that steadily grow. "Someone's coming." Everyone is instantly alert as they look around for signs that they are not alone. "It's coming from over there." She points the direction they have been heading.

"Can you tell how many?" Sokka asks as he draws his sword.

Toph scrunches her face up. "It feels like two but they are carrying something heavy…really heavy."

"I'm going to look." Aang says even as he moves towards it.

Zuko and Katara share a look before chasing after him.

"Come on, Snoozles. If we aren't there, no telling what will happen." Toph waves Jian along with them.

"Someone's coming." Wei hisses to Lena.

The old woman is panting under the extra weight of the Princess. She struggles to keep upright with the royal's arm slung around her neck.

"We have to hide."

With a quick nod, he eases Azula down and quickly erects a hiding place around them. They crouch and do their best to hold their breaths waiting for the danger to pass.

* * *

They ease deeper into the dense foliage of the jungle. Night has fallen casting shadows. They avoid using flames for sight to keep from tipping off their presence.

Toph plants both feet wide on the ground. "They stopped moving but they're close by." Now that she is closer she can pick up three heartbeats. Two are erratic. One is slow, steady and, oh, so familiar. "Gotcha." With a flick of her wrist, the earthen walls come down.

A flame appears in Zuko's hand and reveals a Dai Li agent crouched and ready for attack, an older woman, and the one they've been looking for.

Recognition flares in the old woman's eyes as she sees the Fire Lord and the Avatar. "The Princess is ill."

Aang moves to her side, gentle hands feeling Azula's face. "She's burning up."

Katara drops to her knees on Azula's other side."How long has she been like this?"

Lena, who has moved back, stands wringing her hands. "She has been feverish ever since her son's birth. It was only about an hour ago she became unconscious."

"Can you do anything?" Aang asks Katara.

"We need to get her into the lake to get her temperature down." Katara orders.

Lifting Azula, Aang dashes back to the lake with Katara hot on his heels.

* * *

Azula's first thought is the chill. It's cold, too cold. The last time she felt like this she had lost her bending. Her thoughts race in a blind fury at the thought that she has, yet again, lost what is most important to her.

Hands are holding her, trying to keep her still. She can hear voices but the words are muddled. Her brain feels sluggish. Azula does what she always does in a situation where she feels powerless.

She fights.

Her movements are uncoordinated and sloppy but she must have done something right as she hears a high pitched cry and one set of hands lets go of her. Strong arms wrap around her chest pinning her arms to her sides and pull her backwards out of the water.

She kicks, successfully connecting if the grunt of pain is anything to go by.

Her golden eyes flutter open but she can't focus on anything.

She tries to scream curses but a hand clamps over her mouth.

The feel of solid earth is under her feet now and her wet dress clings to her farther impeding her movements even as she fights against the person holding her.

"Do you think we should help?" Sokka leans over to Toph as they stand back and watch Aang try to restrain a very livid, feverishly delirious Azula as she thrashes in his arms. The illness does little to diminish her fighting ability.

"I think Twinkletoes has this." The smile on Toph's face says it all. She is taking delight in this turn of events.

Sokka is doubtful but reluctant to get closer to the angry woman. "You okay, Katara?" He calls to his sister.

The Water Bender unleashes a few choice words as she holds a water-gloved hand to her face where Azula struck her.

They watch as Zuko draws near obviously wanting to help but unsure what to do at the same time. He settles for calling his sister's name trying to get her attention.

If anything it makes Azula fight harder.

"Stop trying to help!" Aang yells as he dodges an elbow aimed at his face.

Aang's trying hard to not hurt her but she's making it difficult. Out of desperation he bends earth around her legs to keep her from kicking and grabs her wrists. Eventually exhaustion wins out and she slumps against him breathing hard.

Zuko draws near staring at his sister and friend. "Are you okay?"

Aang glares at the Fire Lord. "Help me get her back to the water."

**Next Chapter:**

**Anyone is capable of good and evil.**

**Even the Avatar.**

**Azula sees the truth in situations and in that moment she sees the dark path laid out before them.**


	13. Chapter 13

"Why isn't she waking up?" Aang is only ever this edgy when he is worried.

Katara resists the urge to snap. "She's exhausted. She needs as much sleep as she can get."

Azula's fever has come down but she hasn't woken. It's too early to tell if there is any lasting damage from the high temperatures. For now they have her resting in an earth tent as they camp by the lakeside.

"You should try getting some rest also." She uses the motherly tone of voice with him. It's usually something he responds to.

Except now.

"I'm not tired." Aang doesn't look at her instead focused on the woman that lies between them.

Katara knows him too well to buy the lie but she also knows she can't make him listen to her. "I'm going to get some rest then. If anything changes let me know." With that she slips out of the tent and moves towards her own.

"How is she?" Zuko's soft voice catches her attention. He's perched on a rock not far away. The Fire Lord is just as worn out as the rest of them.

"She'll be fine." At least Katara hopes she will be.

Zuko nods. "I've been speaking with Lena. " He indicates the tent with the older Water Tribe woman. "She said Lao forced the wedding while Azula was unconscious."

Katara's blue eyes widen with surprise. "He can't do that!"

"He did." Zuko scowls, golden eyes narrowing.

"Well, that means it's not legal and he can't challenge you." Her anger settles into a sense of satisfaction that Lao has effectively screwed up his own plans.

"It doesn't work that way." Zuko shakes his head. "He can't challenge me for the throne but I have to challenge him for my sister's honor."

Katara's face says it all. "You are kidding me." Zuko answers with a stare. "Tell me you're kidding!"

"I'm not."

She throws her hands up. "What is it with the Fire Nation always wanting to fight? Have him arrested for kidnapping or treason or just whatever."

"Azula's honor is at stake."

The calm way he says the words are just about Katara's undoing. "Azula's honor? You mean the same Azula that tried to kill you, kill Aang, and was imprisoned in a mental institution?"

She has come to respect Azula but the concept of honor escapes her in this situation. To fight an Agni Kai over this is just beyond her.

"She's my sister." Zuko says with the same calm inflection.

"Before it was your honor and now it's hers. Where does it stop?"

Zuko doesn't answer but the set of his jaw is firm.

Katara shakes her head and stomps off to her own tent.

"Hey, Sugar Queen."

Katara stops at the entrance to her tent. "What?"

Toph is lying on her stomach in her own tent, head propped up on her hands. "Go easy on Sparky there. He just wants to do what's right."

She sighs. "Fighting about this is stupid though."

The bulk of Lao's troops have already been rounded up in the tunnels by the Earth Benders King Bumi sent. All he has now are the forces within the city itself. She knows in reality that Agni Kai is the last option Lao has. Katara just doesn't want anyone to get hurt.

"This is what they do. Trust me if Azula were awake and in her right mind instead of crazy with fever she would be the first in line to kick this guy's butt."

Katara's eyes widen at this. "You're right, Toph." A dawning realization comes over her.

The sudden change in Katara's demeanor surprises Toph. "I am?"

The Water Bender doesn't answer but turns back around the way she came.

She stalks pass a curious Zuko and back into the tent with Azula and Aang.

The Air Bender meets her blue eyes.

"You can't let Zuko fight Lao."

"I have no intention of letting him." Aang replies quietly.

Not expecting it to have gone so easy, she hesitates. "Well, good. You should probably tell him though."

"Tell me what?" Zuko asks from the opening of the tent. His golden eyes flicker to the prone form of his sister.

"You can't fight Lao." Katara replies.

Anger shows on Zuko's face. "I can and I will." He's tired of having his right to the Crown tested and while Lao doesn't have a legitimate claim, it does question the honor of Zuko's family.

"You won't." Aang solemnly replies. "It's not your fight." He adds. There is a hard line in his words.

Zuko's golden eyes flash. "She's my sister and while she may be a sister that I don't particularly care for, she is still my blood and he has no right to treat her like that. Azula is royalty."

"As if they don't know that already, brother." Azula's sleepy voice replies. Her eyes are still closed. "Really, did I sound that pompous?" She lifts a hand with slow, ungraceful motions towards Aang.

Aang is quick to close his own around it. "Always." He says with a smile.

Azula finally gets her eyes to open and she frowns at Aang. "You shaved." It's been years since she has seen him without hair.

Katara and Zuko exchange looks of surprise. This was not what they expected her to say.

Aang remembers the steps to their dance. "You've certainly looked better." He says with a wry smile.

Katara and Zuko gape with open mouths in shock.

With considerable effort and Aang's help, Azula sits up. "Yes, well, you try giving birth, being sick and running through the jungle."

Once she is upright she leans against Aang but her golden eyes are fixed on Zuko.

"Surely you aren't eager to defend my honor, Zuzu?" There is a slight teasing tone in her tired voice.

"You are my sister." He says with a glare.

The small smile on Azula's face belies the exhaustion she feels. "It isn't your fight though."Anger is clear on Zuko's face but before he can retort, Azula continues. "I did a bit of reading at the Air Temples. Air Nation law is quite interesting."

"I wouldn't say that." Aang sighs as he drops a kiss to the top of her head.

The affectionate gesture does not go unnoticed.

"Much less formal than the Fire Nation, Zuko." She continues as if nothing else was said.

The Fire Lord shakes his head. He is too tired to sort through riddles. "Meaning what exactly?"

"Meaning it's not your fight." Azula replies.

Catching the implication in her words, Zuko looks to Aang.

"Air Nation law is very informal when it comes to, uh, marriage." Aang replies, face coloring slightly.

"Is it now?" Zuko asks rhetorically before he turns to Katara with a raised eyebrow.

Her face flushes as well and looks away. While she and Aang never crossed that line, they did come close. The meaning behind the act itself was well in the forefront of both their minds.

Only Azula is willing to meet the Fire Lord's eyes and she smiles. "So while I appreciate the thought, Zuzu, it is unnecessary." She doesn't add that she would rather be the one to take care of it but for now she is content to leave it to the Avatar. "Do you mind giving us a few moments?" It's not really a question.

Zuko and Katara back out of the tent leaving them alone. He stares at Katara until she begins to fidget.

"What?" She snaps.

"It seems to me that someone could have mentioned all of this before. It would have saved me a great deal of worry."

Katara shrugs. "Just don't tell Sokka, okay?" Her brother has already had his suspicions all along but if he found out just how close they came and what it would have meant in the Air Nation then Aang may have two fights on his hands.

Zuko laughs as he walks off, feeling lighter and more at ease than he has in some time. "Can't promise that, Katara. I might need someone on my side when Aang and I talk about this later."

Katara glares at the Fire Lord's retreating head. "Brothers." She mutters to herself before moving towards her own tent for the night.

* * *

Azula is wrapped up in his arms. It's not a place she expected to be again.

"I'm sorry." Aang whispers against her hair. "I'm so sorry."

Now that they are alone they are free to let down their walls.

"I shouldn't have left." She admits against his chest, burrowing against him. Azula is exhausted. She has never been this tired before.

"I was being selfish." Aang admits himself. "I was afraid to lose you."

Azula can't summon the energy to laugh so she gives a small hum. "So we both made mistakes."

They fall silent as they just relish the feeling of being together again.

"I never meant to hold you to any of it." His voice is quiet, uncertain as he brings up the uncomfortable topic of Air Nation law. Aang is the last of a dead nation and he knows that some things will die with his people.

Azula thinks it over, carefully selecting her words."What if I hold _you _to it?" This is something she has considered carefully over the last several months.

The way Aang tenses against her shows his surprise. He doesn't dare to hope. "You didn't know what it would mean, Azula." He's giving her an out.

"I know now what it means and even in the Fire Nation there are laws governing such things." She smiles. "By all rights, my closest male relative is supposed to defend my honor." Her voice is light and teasing. The thought of Zuko standing up for her in that way is amusing.

Aang laughs. "Zuko did say he might punch me when this is over."

Azula lifts her head to look up at him. "Zuzu actually threatened you?" It seems like an unwise decision on the Fire Lord's part.

He shrugs as he pulls her closer. "I wouldn't call it a threat. More like just giving me what I deserve." He tries to not think about all the mistakes he has made in the last year.

"Well, in that case, don't make me sick the Fire Lord on you." Azula has already made up her mind about their relationship.

Letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, he says, "I certainly wouldn't want that so I guess you're stuck with me."

"You may be the one regretting it in the long run. In case you didn't notice, I can be rather demanding." She warns him playfully.

He tilts her head upwards and kisses her. "I think I can handle you."

Azula raises an eyebrow at this. "That sounds like a challenge." Her lips quirk into a smile. "What makes you think you can handle me?"

Aang answers with his own smile. "Avatar."

Rising up she captures his lips in another kiss before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. His arms wrap around her waist, holding her tight.

Eventually Azula asks, "How is he?"She is filled with a sense of nervousness as she asks about their son.

Aang runs his fingers through her long hair, savoring the silky feel of it. "Getting big." This is not how he pictured starting a family. "He misses his mother."

Azula gives an unpleasant laugh at this. "How can he miss someone he doesn't even know?" Just moments after giving birth she had to send her son away. She couldn't even be sure if he had been safely delivered to the palace.

"Trust me he does."

He seems so sure of it that Azula doesn't have the heart to disagree.

"What did you name him?" She asks instead.

"I haven't. That is something we should do together."

Azula nods against him before moving back to lie down again. He lies behind her refusing to lose contact. She feels warm and sleepy as she begins to drift off again.

"I almost killed Long Feng."

The confession and the cold tone of voice snap her eyes open. "Almost?"

Aang lets out a sigh that skims across the back of her neck. "Yes. He's imprisoned at Caldera now." Warm lips press to the bared skin of her shoulder. "I leave his fate to you."

Azula ponders this information. "Do you think that's a wise idea?" She knows what she would choose and Azula is hardly a person filled with compassion.

"Maybe. Maybe not but I still leave it to you." There is a deadly edge to his voice.

She turns over at this. His eyes are cold steel.

Anyone is capable of good and evil.

Even the Avatar.

Azula sees the truth in situations and in that moment she sees the dark path laid out before them. She knows from experience that it is a slippery destructive slope. One that is difficult to recover from. The Avatar wields such an awesome power. Power that can bring great healing or cause terrible destruction. Build a peace or wage a war.

Reaching up she touches his face and he closes his eyes at the feel of her hand on his skin. It's all right there at her fingertips and she would be lying if she said it lacked appeal. All her life, Azula has sought power and, more importantly, the ability to control such power. As she leans forward to kiss him, she feels it in the heat of his lips on hers. It is brimming under the surface…all for her.

As she nestles against him, feeling the steady beat of his heart under her head, Azula considers the road before them and realizes that it is up to her to choose.

**Next Chapter: **

**"You have the power to stop this, Azula." Iroh says cautiously. "He would listen to your counsel. The Avatar must not take Lao's life." **

**The Avatar must uphold his own ideals.**


	14. Chapter 14

Iroh gently nudges the door to the nursery open but stops to smile at the sight of mother and child.

As he draws near, his keen eyes watch as her long delicate fingers trace the smaller ones of her son's tiny hand. When she looks up at him, her eyes are shiny with unshed tears. Iroh sits in the chair beside hers, watches and waits for Azula to speak.

"He's grown so much." She looks back at the sleeping baby in her lap.

Iroh nods sagely. "Babies grow quickly." He knows what is at the heart of her words though. She feels she has lost out on so much already.

Azula's absence and her subsequent illness have made it impossible for her to nurse the infant. Mai has been generous enough to take on the care of the young Air Bender alongside her own child. Iroh wonders if the Fire Lady and the Princess have even spoken to one another. Their once-close friendship had been another casualty of the war.

"Uncle," her soft voice breaks him out of his thoughts. "What happened with Long Feng?"

Iroh looks away from his niece's golden eyes and sweeps his gaze over the cheerful decorations of the Royal nursery. It is an inauspicious setting for such a conversation.

"The Avatar was quite angry when you were not to be found in the cell, Azula. Long Feng had already been captured by the Dai Li but upon hearing you had been turned over to Lao.." Iroh shakes his head at the memory. "The Avatar took the man's very breath from his lungs. He would have killed Long Feng. I am sure of it."

Air Benders have often been seen as gentle and harboring great respect for life, all life. This is because they understand the destructive nature of their element, perhaps better than any other bender. Air is gentle and unassuming and so unlike Fire. With Fire the danger is obvious and every Fire Bender feels the destructive power at their fingertips as it races just under the skin. The danger of air is less apparent and perhaps this is where the greatest peril lies. While Air is delicate, it is necessary. Without it, nothing could survive.

Azula considers her Uncle's words as she settles the baby in her arms. "What stopped him?"

Iroh meets her even gaze, furrowing his brow in thought. "I am uncertain."

He wishes he knew what had stopped the Avatar in those last few moments. The cavern had been quiet save for Katara's tearful pleas and all Iroh could picture at that moment was his brother's face. He is not prideful enough to think that his words actually made a difference.

"The Avatar would not take Ozai's life, but he would have taken Long Feng's." Iroh contemplates this. "I fear before this is over with, Azula, that the Avatar may yet have blood on his hands." Even now he still seeks to draw a line between the Avatar and Aang.

Over the years, Iroh has spoken at length with Aang about Ozai and the Fire Nation. Aang has always maintained that all life is to be respected and even faced with the death of his people, he has remained adamant about it.

Looking at his niece's face, he sees the stark differences between the two benders. Azula has no qualms about killing. She has done it before and she will do it again. This is something Iroh is sure of. In Azula, he can accept this for in the Fire Nation, death is necessary and enemies must be dealt with, sometimes severely. Iroh's own hands are far from clean. He has waged war and laid waste to cities and families alike. The Dragon of the West will never be able to truly atone for his actions. Many lost their lives at his hands. He tries to not think of Lu Ten and how the son paid for the sins of the father at the walls of Ba Sing Se.

Aang had been different. The Air Nation was different. Life was revered and preserved. Even as the terrible might of the Fire Nation army bore down on the nomads, they still had sought to not kill their enemies though Iroh knows in the end that many Fire Nation soldiers did fall to the monks. It was not enough though and the Air nation was exterminated…save one.

Even as a young child of twelve, Aang had been against doing what seemed like the lone way to end the war. Everyone, Iroh included, thought the century-long conflict would only end with the death of the Fire Lord. Aang had resisted this idea and found a way around it; taking Ozai's bending rather than his life. Iroh had been relieved and his faith in the young Avatar had grown.

Recent events have shaken that faith and now Iroh is filled with a deep sense of concern and foreboding. There are ancient stories about Avatar's that have crossed the line, used the awesome power of the Avatar spirit for revenge, ruled the world with an unmatched ruthlessness. There were reasons the monks sought to release earthly attachments. They realized the true dangers the ability to bend holds.

Over the years, Iroh has enjoyed several conversations with the young Avatar. Aang had told him the story about the lion-turtle and the lesson it imparted to him about having an unbendable spirit. Iroh now wonders how much a spirit can bend before it breaks.

"I see it too, Uncle." Azula says softly as she looks down at the sleeping infant in her arms but she doesn't elaborate. He doesn't expect her to. Azula has built a life following in footsteps of her father and grandfathers. Secrets are her specialty. If anyone was to understand the appeal of the darker side of life, it would be Azula.

When Aang returned to the palace with Azula, Iroh hoped the situation would be averted but Commander Lao is persistent though and formally challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai. Even now, Lao is on his way to Caldera, travelling under the protection of the Fire Sages. Under the rules of Agni Kai, Lao is permitted to enter the capital city to complete the challenge. Zuko is waiting until they are face to face to expose the falsehood of the forced marriage. After that it is expected that Aang, as Azula's husband, will defend her honor.

Agni Kai's can be fought to the death, though that is rarely done. Lao doesn't have a chance of defeating either the Fire Lord or the Avatar in a Pai Sho game much less an Agni Kai. Iroh is unsure what Lao is trying to prove.

"You have the power to stop this, Azula." Iroh says cautiously. Over the past few days, he has had the opportunity to watch Aang and Azula closely. Aang is, without question, devoted to Azula and, surprisingly, she seems to return the sentiment. "He would listen to your counsel. The Avatar must not take Lao's life."

The Avatar must uphold his own ideals.

Iroh waits with baited breath for her response. If anyone could stay the Avatar's hand it would be Azula and Iroh hopes his niece really has changed for the better, if only to keep Aang from following her down that road.

Azula's eyes are keen but unyielding. "Lao does not deserve to live." Her tongue cuts with the same sharp edges that were so typical of her father in the final days of the war. "Death is the only way he can gain any sort of honor." Ozai's words on Azula's lips.

The Dragon of the West closes his eyes at this pronouncement and he feels his heart sink in his chest. In this, it would seem, Azula is a lost cause.

Taking leave of his niece, he roams the halls of the palace.

The Avatar is meditating in the courtyard. Iroh sits and contemplates the situation at hand as a gentle breeze blows.

"Uncle?"

Iroh meets warm gray eyes. At times, Iroh still sees the boy he knew in the man before him. This is one of those times.

"What do you intend to do about Lao?"

It's a subtle shift as warm gray turns into cold slate.

"I intend to give him what he deserves."

Iroh presses his lips together and makes a small sound in his throat. Air Benders are gentle by nature, sometimes flighty and prone to avoid and evade instead of staying the course. It is not the Air Bender that speaks now.

"Lao is no match for you in battle. It would be unfair."

"This isn't about fairness." The Avatar is as immoveable as an Earth Bender.

The older man's brow creases as he considers this. "Azula is safe. What is to be gained from this?"

The gentle breeze fades and is replaced by the cloying humidity and heat so characteristic of the archipelago. The shift is so sudden that Iroh is certain it is the Avatar's doing.

"The things he did to Azula cannot go unpunished." There is almost an appeal in the Avatar's voice, encouraging Iroh to understand and accept the inevitable. "I nearly lost my wife and son." His words are as fluid as the ocean currents in the hands of a Water Bender.

Iroh is nearly tempted to accept this but he knows better than to be fooled.

"An admirable cause but that is not it." Iroh pauses as the Avatar's eyes narrow and the air grows heavier around them. "You seek revenge, Avatar."

The Avatar meets Iroh's stare and more. It is then the old general figures out what he is dealing with here.

A Fire Bender's passion can be all-consuming and a truly destructive force to behold. In his lifetime, Iroh has watched Fire Bender's deal with the power at their fingertips and reconcile it with their own torn emotions. Some, like Jeong Jeong, viewed Fire Bending as a necessary evil. Others, like Ozai, seen it as a divine power to destroy enemies and bend the world to their will.

"Revenge will not bring you the peace you seek, Avatar. It is rare for this thirst to be quenched with blood. When Lao is no more, your vengeance will not be spent and what will you do then?"

Iroh watches as his words hit home but fail to make a difference.

**Next Chapter: **

"**She's lying." Lao says calmly. "You can't change your mind after the fact, Azula. I have witnesses to our marriage." He prides himself on his forethought to be ready for this potential outcome.**

**The Fire Lord's golden eyes suddenly blaze and the wall of flames before the throne flare to life in a violent cascade of color: orange, yellow and a flicker of blue. "You accuse my sister of lying to me?" **


	15. Chapter 15

_Today is the day_, Lao thinks to himself. He shall face Fire Lord Zuko and when the Fire Lord falls in Agni Kai, it will be Lao that takes the throne of the Fire Nation. It matters little that the Princess made her escape after taking out his best interrogator. He has all the proof he needs to challenge Zuko.

The throne room is nearly empty when he is shown inside. His soldiers shift behind him, eyeing the Royal Guard warily. On the dais behind an orange wall of flame is the Fire Lord. Lao must admit that Zuko cuts an impressive figure and has the same regal bearing that was so characteristic of Ozai. The Commander gives a short bow unwilling to give this usurper any more respect than what is absolutely necessary.

Seeing the Fire Sages are assembled, Lao addresses the court, "Fire Lord Zuko, I challenge you to an Agni Kai for the throne in the name of my wife Princess Azula."

The room is silent as the Fire Lord contemplates his request. "Is that so?" Lao ponders the smirk on the man's face.

The Head Fire Sage, Eri, approaches. "Commander Lao, have you proof of this marriage?"

"Of course." Lao plays his part as he hands over the scroll. The scrawl of signatures at the bottom stand out in livid relief against the white parchment.

Eri examines it before nodding to the Fire Lord. The wall of flames drops as Zuko descends the steps and takes the offered scroll in hand.

"Interesting." Lao scowls at the flippant tone in the Fire Lord's voice as he scans the writing. "It is a shame that it is not legal though." Zuko hands the scroll to the Head Fire Sage and looks expectantly at the man before him.

"Of course, it is!" Lao feels his anger rising and he wants nothing more than to be done with this and take the throne. He will lead the Fire Nation to victory over the other nations.

Zuko raises an eyebrow at the outburst. "Careful, Commander." He warns in a low tone.

Lao takes a deep breath to settle himself. "I apologize, Fire Lord Zuko, but I am not accustomed to having my honor questioned." The tone of voice is a thinly veiled sneer.

A snicker from a young girl in a green dress is the only sound in the room. Lao glares at the opaque eyes but all she does is smile.

"The validity of this marriage has been contested. What other proof can you provide?" Eri, the Head Fire sage, asks.

Lao considered this possibility and thought ahead. "I have the Fire Sage that performed the ceremony and witnesses." He indicates behind him towards an obviously frightened Fire Sage surrounded by more soldiers.

The Fire Sage had been threatened within an inch of his life to perform the ceremony while Azula was burning with fever but Lao is sure the man will not back out now with so much at stake.

The Fire Lord contemplates this before speaking to the Head Fire Sage. "I would speak to my sister about this." He looks at Lao keenly.

It is the crux in his plan. Azula had escaped and his patrols had been unable to find her. "Princess Azula was unable to make it and sends her regrets." He lies smoothly.

Zuko frowns. "That is a shame. I do hope Azula is well."

"The Princess is in fine health, Fire Lord Zuko, but she is eager to reclaim her throne." Lao tries to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand.

The Earth girl bursts out. "Lying! He is so lying, Sparky!"

Zuko represses a smirk.

Lao's temper boils over. "How dare you accuse me of being dishonest!" Lao threatens glaring at the Earth Bender. "I will not be insulted by some little girl!"

"Oh, look who is concerned suddenly with honesty." It is a voice he has not heard in sometime.

Lao watches as the elusive princess steps in beside her brother with that familiar smirk on her face and golden eyes gleaming in the light of the throne room. He takes in the formal robes of her station.

"That little girl would make short work of you so you should watch your tongue, Lao." Azula's voice slides as smooth as silk.

He regrets not hearing her scream one last time.

"According to my sister, Princess Azula, she was not a willing participant to this marriage." Fire Lord Zuko says with a small amount of satisfaction.

"She's lying." Lao says calmly. "You can't change your mind after the fact, Azula. I have witnesses to our marriage." He prides himself on his forethought to be ready for this potential outcome.

The Fire Lord's golden eyes suddenly blaze and the wall of flames before the throne flares to life in a violent cascade of color: orange, yellow and a flicker of blue. "You accuse my sister of lying to me?"

Lao's breath hitches at the sight. "I meant no disrespect but women are often flighty when it comes to these matters. Azula fears for your safety should you fall in Agni Kai."

Azula's lips quirk in a smile. "That's the best you can come up with?"

Eri chooses that moment to intervene. "Fire Lord Zuko, he does have the word of a Fire Sage, a certificate, and witnesses. You only have the word of the Princess. Forgive me, Your Highness, but it is not enough." The man looks genuinely apologetic.

Zuko nods in understanding, calmer. The wall of flame settles into a deep orange glow. "Of course. Lao does have a great deal of evidence."

Lao's eyes gleam with victory. "Well, now that is sorted out, shall we get on with it?"

"However," Zuko continues as if Lao didn't speak. "Given the circumstances of this situation, I would prefer to have the Avatar's opinion on this."

Eri and the other Fire Sages murmur in agreement. All eyes turn to Lao for his response. The Avatar is the last say in all disputes.

"Is the Fire Lord afraid to face me in Agni Kai and that is why you run to your friend the Avatar?" Lao mocks.

The room is deathly quiet as the Fire Lord steps closer, staring him down. Zuko speaks in a tone only for Lao's ears. "Understand this: I do not fear you. If you and I were to fight in Agni Kai, you would fall and I would regret nothing. What you have done to my sister is beyond anything even my own father would have done. However, as much as I would like to give you what you deserve, it is not my place to do so. Rest assured, Lao, you will get what is coming to you."

Lao blinks up at the Fire Lord turning the words over in his head. A sense of apprehension blossoms in his chest.

Eri prompts Lao. "Are you willing to hear the Avatar's opinion on the matter?"

"Very well then."Lao snaps inwardly cursing the reliance the Fire Lord seems to have on the child that ended the war.

When the doors open, Lao glares at the yellow and orange robes of the Air Nation. He has never seen the Avatar in person before but he knows enough about him to not be concerned. This is not a matter for anyone but the Fire Nation.

The Fire Lord introduces them. "Avatar Aang, this is Commander Lao."

Something about the way the man's gray eyes look at him though gives Lao pause. There seems to be a flicker of hostility. Air Benders are peaceful and the Avatar even spared Ozai's life. That certainly doesn't fit so Lao shakes it off.

"Avatar Aang," Eri speaks. "Commander Lao has a certificate of marriage, witnesses, and the Fire Sage that performed the ceremony."

Gray eyes flicker to the terrified sage and the offered certificate. "According to Azula, she didn't consent to the marriage." The Avatar muses in a thoughtful tone. "What do you have to say to that, Lao?"

Lao glares at the taller man. "She seeks to protect her brother. It is little more than a woman's fear."

"I fear nothing." Azula says with an eerie calm. Her eyes are bright and fiery but before she can say more the Avatar puts a hand on her arm. She huffs but doesn't say more.

"The marriage isn't valid." The Avatar states simply. Lao opens his mouth to protest but is cut off. "Because Azula is already married."

Eri nods at this information. "Is that true, Princess?"

Azula smiles, sharp white teeth glinting in the light. Her eyes take on a satisfied glow. "As if the Avatar would lie."

The Commander is growing tired of the games Azula plays. When this is over and he has the throne, he will deal with this viper of a woman and will not be so kind.

"I think he would to save your worthless neck." Lao snaps.

If Lao were paying closer attention he would see the way the Fire Lord stiffens or how the Princess smirks but he doesn't and fails to notice the very real danger he is in.

"I know Azula is married because I was there." The Avatar intones in a deceptively gentle voice. "The fact she bore me a son should be all the proof you need."

The words wash over him. Lao's eyes widen at the revelation and his heart beings to race. "You are married to Azula." He says haltingly.

It is only then Lao takes notice of Lena who has slipped in the room holding a small child with startling gray eyes.

"Very much so." There is an edge of coldness in the man's reply.

The Head Fire Sage lifts the child in his arms and runs a finger over his forehead. "The child is an Air Bender." He pronounces with a great sense of awe. "This is truly wonderful!"

Lao glares at Lena then Azula realizing how much was truly kept from him and how his plans are falling apart. The powerful bender the Princess had taunted him about is none other than the Avatar himself. It does nothing to settle the feeling of unease in his chest. The Earth girl begins to laugh.

Eri looks to Lao. "I regret to inform you Commander that your claim is refuted and your challenge to Fire Lord Zuko for an Agni Kai is rejected."

Lao does not meet either the Avatar's or Fire Lord's eyes but instead turns, signaling for his guards to follow. "I shall take my leave then." A quick escape is needed.

"Just a moment, Commander." The Fire Lord interrupts. "There is the matter of the attack on the prison and the kidnapping of my sister twice, not to mention attack and capture of the city of Ga Nai."

Lao turns back to face the Fire Lord, a tight feeling in his chest. "I have travelled here under the protection of the Fire Sages. I am permitted safe travel back." He argues.

Zuko steps forward, amber eyes sharp and alert. "You were permitted safe travel under their protection for an Agni Kai." He clarifies in a patient voice.

Before Lao can deliberate on the look in the Fire Lord's eyes, the Avatar waves a hand and the doors of the throne room slam shut.

"And an Agni Kai you shall have." The Avatar moves to stand in front of Lao staring down at him with cold gray eyes as he speaks. "Commander Lao, I challenge you to an Agni Kai for the kidnapping and mistreatment of my wife, Princess Azula."

**Next Chapter:**

"**Lao opposes us. He opposes you. Aang puts an end to him and the Fire Nation emerges stronger than before." For Azula it is so simple. **

**Zuko sees beyond that though. "Where does it stop, Azula? There will always be someone that opposes me. Aang can't just go around taking them out."**


	16. Chapter 16

_**I assure you that I am diligently working on this story even though real life continues to intrude. Please do not hesitate to review as I do so enjoy reading your opinions and finding out just what it is that readers are taking away from my stories. I have several other stories started and will begin posting in time.**_

_I challenge you to an Agni Kai for the kidnapping and mistreatment of my wife, Princess Azula._

The Avatar's words ring loud in the throne room and Lao blinks up at the cold imposing figure. "You can't do that."

Aang steps closer, using his height and presence to intimidate the man. "Why not?" There is almost a dare in his voice.

Lao resists the urge to step back. The guards behind him shift nervously. "You're the Avatar. Avatar's can't fight Agni Kais."

"It is unusual." Zuko allows as he steps up to flank Aang," but there are no exact rules against it."

Looking to Eri, the Head Fire Sage, for intervention, Lao argues "Agni Kais are for Fire Nation citizens only."

Eri gives a gentle tilt of his head, "I understand your concerns, Commander Lao, but the Avatar is well within his rights as a member of the Royal family to challenge you." Marriage to Azula gains the Air Bender Fire Nation citizenship.

Glancing around the throne room, he is met with stony gazes and a few smirks. There really is no other way around it. "Very well, I accept." His mouth feels drier than it ought to.

"Agni Kai tomorrow at dawn." Zuko pronounces. "Lao, you and your men will be shown to your rooms."

They are surrounded by the scowling faces of the Royal Guard. It is less an escort and more a security force. Lao has no other choice but to assent and follow.

Once the Royal Guard has escorted them out of the room, there is a sort of lingering tension left behind.

"Are you certain about this?" Zuko asks in a quiet voice.

Aang's eyes are still fixed on the now closed throne room doors. "I've never been more certain about anything in my life."

Throwing a look over his shoulder to Iroh, Zuko and the older man share the same grim look on their faces.

Zuko has no love for his sister. Not really. Someone who has sought to make his life a living hell and kill him on a few occasions is not a person he really wants to spend any significant amount of time with. However, something about Azula is different. There would have to be something different for Aang to be so enthralled with her, Zuko reasons.

As expected he finds her in the nursery. Since her return, Azula has spent as much time with her young son as she can. It surprises the Fire Lord to see his sister acting so maternal. Rocking in the chair she is humming a song he recalls their mother singing when they were little. He sits in the other chair and watches the unfamiliar sight of his sister looking happy.

"If you are here to try to get me to talk to Aang about the Agni Kai then you are wasting your time." She doesn't look up from the child in her arms. "The Avatar will do what he wants."

Zuko raises an eyebrow at this. More like what Azula wants. It's on the tip of his tongue to say it but he isn't keen on riling her temper yet. "Is that so?"

"He is quite set on this, brother." Azula still doesn't look at him as she speaks.

It's almost as if she is avoiding him.

"Aang's never been one to seek revenge. He was always against it." Zuko remembers the passionate protest Aang made when Katara sought the man who murdered her mother and the relief when he found out Katara had let the man go.

Azula makes a sound like a stifled laugh. "People change."

"That they do." Zuko says thoughtfully. "Do you want Lao dead?"

Azula pauses. "I shouldn't."

The Fire Lord gives a short laugh. "I know you haven't changed that much, Azula."

She scowls at him. "Of course I want him dead."

"He did terrible things to you." Zuko doesn't know specifics and for that he is thankful. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

Zuko expected as much but he had to make the offer. Focusing on a far point across the room, he says, "Have you thought about how this goes against everything Aang ever stood for?" Out of the corner of his eye he sees her look over at him. Knowing he has her attention he continues. "Before Sozin's comet, he was agonizing over what to do about Ozai. I kept telling him that his only option was to kill Ozai, everyone did, but he was resistant to the idea." Zuko meets her eyes."Ozai almost killed Aang because Aang was trying to find a way to not kill Ozai."

Azula stares him down. "He should have. Ozai is an evil man and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him." This surprises Zuko and it must show on his face because her eyes soften. "You and I both know what sort of person he is. Just because he didn't burn my face doesn't mean he didn't leave scars."

Zuko wants to look away but her eyes are so compelling that he can't. "You and he always seemed to get along so well."

Her golden eyes stare him down. "After you left…after you were banished, things were ..." She shakes her head before continuing. Her voice is a near whisper. "Father's temper was worse than before and it was only me he had to take it out on." She looks down at the little Air Bender again, a stray tear sliding down her cheek.

Zuko looks away from her. Their childhood was more terrible than anyone could really imagine. Mai has an idea of it. She did spend a great deal of time at the palace. Mother was able to shield them for a time from their father but after she left, Ozai was nearly out of control. He never thought what it would be like for his sister once he was out of the line of fire.

"I always thought Father loved you." That's what he told himself when he left but knowing deep down that Ozai never really loved anyone.

Azula makes a noise as she shakes her head. "He didn't know what love was. I was something to mold and to control. A tool to be used for his own ends. Calling him Father is a mockery and an insult to fathers everywhere." There was nothing paternal about Ozai. "Could you imagine treating your son the same way Ozai treated you?"

It gives Zuko chills at the mere thought of it. "I've always worried I would become like him." He doesn't speak of the promise he extracted from the Avatar if that eventuality ever came to be.

"You could never be like him, Zuko. You are far too good a man to fall to those levels." He raises an eyebrow at the compliment. Azula waves him off. "I know. I'm not one to praise. Do not make a big deal about it." She warns.

Zuko gives a small laugh and holds his hand out to Azula. She looks at it with an air of suspicion but he doesn't break his stare. She relents and gently takes it with her own.

"I'm glad you're safe and back home." He says with sincerity. "I didn't realize how much I truly missed you."

In the days their family was happy, before their mother left, there were times that Zuko felt close to his sister. There were times he didn't fear her. As they aged and the differences between the two siblings became apparent they began to grow apart. Azula's mental instability matched Ozai's and Ozai had gradually taken over Azula's world. Zuko retreated to the shadow of their mother as they watched the ones they love fall into darkness.

A small smile graces her lips. "I am glad to be home. I suppose I can tolerate your presence as well."

He smiles at the teasing remark. "Now we got all that out of the way, where is that husband of yours?"

Azula sneers. "I am not the Avatar's keeper."

Sighing, he stands, "I will just find him on my own then."

As he walks towards the door, Azula stops him. "He won't change his mind about Lao so don't even bother." It almost sounds like an order.

Iroh already tried to convince Aang otherwise and failed.

With one hand on the handle, Zuko turns back to her."Do you realize how bad it would be for Aang to actually kill Lao?" The ramifications of Aang crossing this line could be far reaching. Iroh has warned Zuko about the downward spiral it could lead to.

"Exactly how could it be bad? Lao opposes us. He opposes you. Aang puts an end to him and the Fire Nation emerges stronger than before." For Azula it is so simple.

Zuko sees beyond that though. "Where does it stop, Azula? There will always be someone that opposes me. Aang can't just go around taking them out." As much as he would like to have that sort of leverage against others he knows that might does not make right. That had been Ozai's downfall; the belief that if he wanted to do something and was able to overcome any opposition that it was meant to be. Zuko won't fall into the same trap that ensnared his ancestors.

"Why not?" There is a stubborn edge in Azula's voice and Zuko can tell she is spoiling for an argument.

Zuko draws a deep breath, resolving to stay calm."Because the Avatar is supposed to keep balance in the world and not act just in the interest of the Fire Nation."

Azula snaps. "This is in the best interest of everyone. Do you really think Lao or people like him will stop? An example must be made." Azula won't relent, not like this. Her only concern is the Fire Nation and what is at stake for it.

Zuko sees that his sister is so far down this path herself that she has lost sight of the bigger picture. Iroh and he have spoken at length about how to avoid the worse case in this. Both men are convinced that Azula is the pinnacle on which this all hangs. He must get through to her even as he pretends to not be trying.

The Fire Lord is as adaptable as they come so he switches tactics. "I never thought you would be one to hide behind a man, Azula, even if he is the Avatar. If only father could see you now." He muses.

The words have their desired effect and Azula's eyes suddenly blaze in the low light of the room. The yellow shining bright. Zuko can practically feel the heat of her anger rolling off of her and filling the room. In her arms, the baby begins to squirm and fuss, upset by the sudden temperature change.

"Be on your way, brother." Her voice is strong and firm, giving him a carefully layered warning.

The Fire Lord takes this opening and closes the door. He saves his sigh of relief for when he is well out of range of his very agitated sister. As Zuko moves away from the nursery, he smirks at the thought that Azula wasn't the only one that learned the intricacies of manipulation at the hands of their father. Things may well be falling into place after all.

**Next Chapter:**

**Katara sees his point. She really does but still. "Aang, you can't do this. That isn't what the Avatar is meant to do." They have all become concerned about the effects this is having on him. **

**Anger flares in his eyes and his voice drops. "Do not tell me what the Avatar is meant to do. All my life I've been doing what the Avatar is meant to do."**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Sorry for the wait. I was dealing with a nasty case of writer's block. **_

"So how is this any different than Ozai?" Her posture is so familiar. Hands on her hips, head cocked to the side, eyes stubborn and defiant.

The only difference is he's not twelve anymore. "It just is."

Katara huffs, arms dropping to her sides. "Ozai was bent on destroying everything. Lao just had a ridiculous plan to try to take the throne from Zuko. He's not exactly a threat anymore now is he?"

The man's forces have been routed and Ga Nai will be taken back any day. Lao himself is under careful guard in the palace until the Agni Kai at dawn. After that, presuming he survives, Lao will be imprisoned for his crimes.

Aang rubs a hand across his forehead. There is the beginning of a headache throbbing just under the surface. "Why is it everyone thinks they know better than I do?" He's the Avatar. He has had lifetimes of experience of dealing with these things though he has carefully avoided speaking to Roku about this. Somehow he's not sure he wants to know what his past lives have to say about the situation.

His friends seem to have enough to say about it as it is.

"You are losing sight of things, Aang. You just want revenge." The blue in her eyes soften as does her voice.

He turns away from her. He does want revenge. He wants it so bad he can taste it. It may not be the right thing to do but he's tired of being nice.

"You didn't see what he did to her. I seen the room they used and healed the injuries myself." The cuts, the bruises, the broken arm; every time he closes his eyes he can see them. Aang is thankful that when Azula was in Lao's clutches again that he had not laid another hand on her.

This gives Katara pause. Toph had described how upset Aang was in the cave when they came across the interrogation room, how the smell of blood hung in the air. The walls were covered in it and Azula is not a big person. It's amazing she didn't die from loss of blood alone.

"I know it was terrible. I saw what Long Feng did to her." Her voice is quiet. Azula was able to withstand the persuasion attempts of the Dai Li but at the cost of her own health. Katara tries to not think about what they would have done to her if they hadn't cared that she was pregnant. The fact they tortured a pregnant woman at all still gives her sleepless nights.

Aang turns to face her. "You can barely tolerate Azula and what they did to her upsets you. I love her so just imagine what it does to me."

Katara sees his point. She really does but still. "Aang, you can't do this. That isn't what the Avatar is meant to do." They have all become concerned about the effects this is having on him.

Anger flares in his eyes and his voice drops. "Do not tell me what the Avatar is meant to do. All my life I've been doing what the Avatar is meant to do." He never wanted this. He never wanted to be this.

Her blue eyes go wide and Katara takes a step back. She has dealt with his anger before. She has seen his rage but this is nearly something different. She wants to argue with him, wants to shake some sense into him. "You're better than this." She denies weakly.

"What if I'm not?" His words are quiet but cold. "I'm not the boy you knew, Katara. Things have changed_. I_ have changed."

Katara sees the truth in his eyes. "Maybe you have." She allows. "But that still doesn't make it right."

The air around them drops a few degrees. "Should I just let him go then? He doesn't have to answer for his crimes?" There is a dangerous line in Aang's voice as he steps closer to her.

"Of course not." She answers, resolving to stay firm despite the unease she is beginning to feel.

"So I should put him in prison then?"

Katara strives to draw deep breaths against the cold that is permeating the room as the temperature continues to fall. "Yes, let Zuko deal with him."

"Oh, I see." It is a deceptively light tone in his voice and she tries to not fidget under his stern gaze. "What if Zuko decides he should be executed? Will you argue with the Fire Lord too?"

Katara blinks at him, unsure what to say.

Aang steps closer. "You do realize that Lao has committed treason. Do you know what punishment for treason is in the Fire Nation?"

Barely shaking her head, she is frozen in her place. "No."

"Death, Katara. The Fire Nation executes people for treason and Lao has committed treason many times over."

She hadn't really thought about it but there are some things she is still certain of. "Even if it comes to that, I don't think you are the one that should carry it out. You are too emotionally involved."

"And you think Zuko can be more objective about the man that tortured his sister and tried to usurp his throne?"

"Yes." Katara answers without hesitation.

"You have such faith in the Fire Lord." Aang says bitterly. "You use to have that sort of faith in me."

It's true. The Avatar was everything to her. He was hope. He was salvation. He was a way to bring peace to the world.

"People change, Aang, and I realized that the Avatar is just a person." It's not that she thinks anything less of him but she has come to realize that everyone has shortcomings.

There is a shift in his eyes and the drop in temperature seems to stop though the room is still chilled. "Then I am doing what any person in my position would do. You can hardly fault me for that, can you?"

To a point, she can't. Her father left to fight the Fire Nation not long after her mother's death. Katara herself tracked down the murderer and nearly killed him. It has been Aang's words of forgiveness that had stayed her hand in the end. As similar as the two situations are there are still stark differences and more is at stake.

"Even if you weren't the Avatar, you still opposed seeking revenge. Isn't that what the monks taught you?" She sees the opening and takes it.

"Look where it got the monks." It is a decidedly sour tone. "I'm not the last Air Bender anymore, Katara."

"No, you're not." She agrees. "But what will you tell your son about this? Will you tell him that it's okay to seek revenge in some cases but not others?"

Looking away from her, he sighs and with it a great deal of the tension in the room dissipates. "I think with a mother like Azula that revenge will be something he is quite familiar with."

Katara almost smiles at the dark humor in his words but she still feels as if she's standing on thin ice.

The door opens and Azula stalks inside. She raises an eyebrow at the two of them, golden eyes taking in their proximity to one another.

"I need a word with my husband." Azula says pointedly staring at Katara.

Despite the look in Azula is giving her, Katara is grateful for the chance to escape the tension and slips out the door. "I'll just go check in with Mai."

Once the Water Bender is gone, Azula's eyes flash. "What was that about?"

Aang shakes his head. "Katara was enlightening me as to what the Avatar should and shouldn't do."

"Really?" She inquires with a slightly curious tone.

He watches her carefully. Her agitation is apparent and as Azula draws closer to him the heat rolls off her body, effectively raising the temperature of the room again.

"Really." He reaches his hand out to her and when she takes it he pulls her against him. "What's wrong?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she says,"What makes you think something is wrong?"

He smiles at her attempt to avoid. "Because I know you too well."

Turning her head to the side, her expression is drawn and tight."Zuko is what is wrong."

"Ah," he says in an enlightened tone as he wraps arms around her waist and buries his face in her shoulder. The slight scent of her hair washes over him. "They think I'm making a mistake."

Azula tightens her hold on him, relishing the feel of his body against hers. "Are you?"

Briefly his arms tighten around her again before he lifts his head. "I don't know." Pulling out of her arms, he takes her hand and leads her to the bedroom. He stretches out on the cool sheets and pulls her down with him.

She lies on her side facing him. "You don't have to do this." Zuko's words struck a chord with her.

Aang doesn't answer but just stares at her for a moment. "I think I do."

Azula scowls. "I'm not hiding."

His gray eyes flash confusion at the sudden change. "I never said you were."

Sitting up, Azula snaps. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me." Before she can roll off the bed Aang grabs her arm and pulls her back to him.

"No, you don't need me for that." He agrees gently even as she struggles against him."_However_," Aang stresses the word which causes her to still, "I need to do this." It's a drive he has to see this through and put an end to the man that has been the cause of so much hurt.

When Azula opens her mouth to argue, he kisses her instead and takes her momentary surprise to roll her onto her back. Instinctively she relaxes as he settles his weight on top of her as the kiss deepens.

Aang pulls back and runs his eyes over her form appreciatively.

Azula smiles at the familiar spark of lust in his eye and takes the opportunity to begin removing his shirt. "Fine, fight him." She leans up to kiss his neck. "But don't kill him."

He makes a noise somewhere between frustration and desire as she continues kissing her way down his neck. "Are you sure about that?" His voice is thick with want as her hands graze the band of his pants.

"Absolutely." She murmurs against his skin as she nips. "There is nothing to gain by it. It will only hurt your standing with the other nations."

Aang shudders as her hand dips inside the cloth to grasp him. Turning his head he captures her lips again. "I can't say I agree, Azula."

Her eyes are a deep amber as she looks up at him. "You don't have to agree. You just have to trust me, Aang." Azula sees the hesitation in his eyes but she doesn't back down.

He knows on some level he can't trust her, not completely. It is just in Azula's nature to manipulate the situation. She is not above manipulating him either but Aang also knows that he is past the point of caring.

"I'll consider it." Aang kisses her again. "If Lao abides by the rules, but," he pushes her skirts up out of the way, "I can't promise anything."

It's not the answer she wanted but Azula is soon distracted as he begins a slow push inside of her.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**Azula scoffs. "Now you think you're an expert on matrimony. Please, Zuko you and I both know we are destined to fail at it spectacularly." **_

_**He opens his eyes up at this. "Speak for yourself. I intend on being happily married for the rest of my life." **_

"_**Sure you do, Zuzu. It's really only a matter of time." **_


	18. Chapter 18

_**This is a long one, folks.**_

Azula watches the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps. Idly she traces the blue line down his arm. Satisfied he is down for the count, she rises.

Zuko's words stung.

She is not hiding behind the Avatar, far from it. Azula is simply wielding the power at her fingertips while giving in to her husband's desire for vengeance. It has a pleasant duality. However, she also won't bare others to think differently. Clearly, another plan is needed.

Making her way through the darkened palace hallways, she comes to the room she knows Lao to be in.

With a pointed look at the guards, she says, "I shall have a word with him and no witnesses." Her message is plain and the guards leave with a bow.

Azula throws the door open without ceremony. Lao is on his feet as are his soldiers.

"Sit." She orders and then stares them down until they comply.

Lao remains standing. "Princess Azula, I certainly did not expect to see you tonight." His grin is lascivious as he rakes his eyes up and down her form. "You certainly are looking well."

Brushing off the lecherous tone in his voice, she appraises the room. "Zuko certainly didn't roll out the welcome mat, did he?"

"I fear the Fire Lord is not keen on my company." Lao says amicably. He wonders at the woman's motivations. Azula is certainly not just checking up on him.

With a smile she walks around the room, paying close attention to the tapestries decorating the walls. "The Avatar looks forward to the Agni Kai." She throws a glance over her shoulder at him.

"Indeed." Lao says the bravado in his voice fading. "I was rather surprised by that, Your Highness."

"Really you should consider it an honor, Lao. Air Benders aren't exactly known for their aggressiveness. They are pacifists by nature and you may actually come out of it better than if it were Zuko or me. You may actually live." Crimson lips smirk at him.

Facing the Fire Lord would have been difficult enough. Facing the Avatar will be impossible.

"You may be right." Striving to treat this woman with respect is difficult when he wants nothing more than to lay into her. "It is the hand that fate dealt me though."

"Isn't it just." Azula says thoughtfully, pulling back a tapestry, "Although," she pauses as a door is revealed. "You could always take the back way out."

He just stares at her, unsure if he has heard her correctly. "You want me to sneak out and avoid the challenge?"

"What sort of wife would I be if I allowed my husband and father of my child to fight in a duel?" Her words are sticky sweet.

Utter lies. Lao can only look at her and try to discern her true motivation.

Azula sees the hesitation. "Look at it this way, Lao. I let the Avatar fight and possibly kill you and then what? He may decide that he likes it."

"I fail to see where the problem is in this for you." Lao is sure this has to be a trap of some sort.

"Either take the out I am giving you and run away or face my husband in the morning and risk dying by his hand. It's a simple choice."

Lao does not need to be warned again about the danger of facing the Avatar in a duel but still. "How do I know you won't just send him after me anyway and he kills me then?"

Azula gives him a beguiling smile. "You don't. I asked Aang to spare your life tomorrow." The smile fades from her face and a hard look edges her eye. "I was denied."

The Avatar refused his own wife's plea of mercy. That does not set well with Lao.

"Very well then, Azula, I shall take this out and see your brother on the field of battle." There may be a way around this yet.

As she watches them disappear through the secret passage, Azula tsks and shakes her head. "Not even one word of thank you."

oOoO

To say Zuko is angry is an understatement. He glowers at the woman before him.

Azula isn't bothered and meets his stare with a smile. "Don't look at me that way, Zuzu."

He sits back in his chair and folds his hands in front of him. "You let him escape."

Her smile widens. "You blame me?"

Zuko's eyes dart around his office as if looking for something to set afire other than Azula's robes.

"I'm tired of your games." He growls. It is the predawn hours and Zuko has yet to go to sleep.

She answers with a laugh. "Oh, please." Azula brushes his glare off. "It's not a game. I just realized you were right."

The Fire Lord's anger settles into a smoldering burn. "You did?"

"Hmm," She nods, "I asked Aang to spare Lao's life and he wasn't too keen on the idea. We certainly can't have the Avatar killing at will now can we?"

Zuko sees through it. "You mean you can't have the Avatar not doing what you want."

Azula stills, tilting her head an imperceptible amount. "I can't take him down with me, Zuko."

There is truth in her words. "What do you mean, Azula?"

"You know how I am." She snaps, anger flaring in her eyes. He watches as she takes a deep breath steadying herself before she speaks in a softer tone. "You know what I am. You know what I am capable of." Zuko can only nod in agreement. He has seen the road his sister has gone down. It was the same path his father walked. "Aang is a good man with an amazing amount of power. Ozai was bad enough and that was just with the Fire Nation and a comet. Just imagine what destruction the Avatar could bring."

Zuko looks down. It's true. Azula and Ozai were anything but good. They would have laid waste to the rest of the world.

"So you let Lao go."

Azula hums in agreement. "I let him go so you can chase him down."

Zuko raises an eyebrow at her.

"Well, so _we_ can chase him down."She amends.

That is more fitting, Zuko thinks. "Does Aang know you let Lao go?"

She gives a small laugh. "Of course not, but that's the beauty of marriage. I don't have to tell him."

Zuko sighs as he closes his eyes. "I think you may be missing the point about marriage."

Azula scoffs. "Now you think you're an expert on matrimony. Please, Zuko you and I both know we are destined to fail at it spectacularly."

He opens his eyes up at this. "Speak for yourself. I intend on being happily married for the rest of my life."

"Sure you do, Zuzu. It's really only a matter of time."

Zuko scowls at her smiling face. "Why did I miss this again?"

Shrugging her shoulders and rising to stand, Azula says as she walks towards the door, "Because you are a glutton for punishment. I have a son to check in on and a husband to disappoint."

Shaking his head, he looks out the window at the still dark sky and wonders about the enigma that is Azula.

oOoO

Aang is angry but Azula isn't surprised.

"Lao's gone." He repeats Azula's words.

"Slipped out in the middle of the night."

He knows her better than this. "And just how did he manage that when he was under heavy guard."

"He must have found one of the secret passages." Azula doesn't even bother hiding the flippancy in her voice.

"Of course he did." Drawing a deep breath against the rising fury, Aang turns away, pacing across the room.

Azula watches carefully with calculating eyes. "Most likely he shall return to Ga Nai. Zuko is already sending troops after him. If he manages to make it back to the city then it will only be a matter of time."

"Why did you do this?" Aang's voice is amazingly calm when he turns to face her again.

"Do what?" She returns evenly.

Anger flares inside of him and it shows in his eyes. "Azula, you let him go. I want to know why?"

She is unashamed of her part in this. "You know why."

He does know and it only serves to fuel his anger. It shows in his voice. "You can't make these decisions for me."

Azula stills. "Even if you are making the wrong decision?"

Gray eyes glare back at her. "It is still my decision to make, Azula, not yours."

He can be so infuriating at times. Her fists clench at her side and she demands "Aang, you can't do this."

Seeing that Azula won't relent, he turns away from her with a frustrated growl and walks away. His decision is made.

Azula follows him out of the room. "Where are you going?"

"To find Lao and end this." His hand is on the doorknob but she just as quickly pushes the door shut.

"Azula," His voice is low but has an eerie calm to it. "Move out of the way."

Never one to be told what to do she leans against the door blocking his way. "This is not the way. I won't let you do this."

Placing one hand on the door beside her head, Aang leans in voice dangerously low. "How would you really stop me, Princess?"

There is an answering fire in Azula's eyes.

ooooo

Katara finds him leaning against a wall, arms folded, eyes far away and distant.

"How's it going?" She asks, stopping in front of him.

Zuko sighs as the loud harsh words are muffled through the ornate doors. "About like that."

Katara shifts, flicking nervous blue eyes towards the room.

"On the upside I don't think she's bended at him yet." Zuko lets his head lean against the wall with a thump.

It has been a very real fear of Zuko's that Azula might lose her temper and lash out at Aang.

A voice, clearly Aang's, drowns out the quick staccato of Azula's words.

Zuko watches as Katara's eyes widen. Aang, rarely, if ever, yells.

Azula is never one to be outdone and the tone of her voice is more biting and angry. The floor trembles under their feet, concerning both of them. If Earth Bending is beginning to make its way into their argument, then it does not bode well.

It's the sound of glass shattering that finally spurs Zuko to action. He throws the doors open and Katara follows.

The room isn't out of order, save the shattered vase on the floor; the dent in the wall above the shards showing the impact.

Azula stands alone in the center of the room, staring at the open balcony doors. She regards Zuko with a calm expression. "It would seem I miscalculated, Brother." With that simple statement she turns to leave the room and the two benders more confused than before.

oOoOoOoO

Lao had thought his days of hiding in the jungles, surviving off whatever scurried along, were long over. His plan had seemed so solid. It was brilliant in its simplicity. He gazes out over his soldiers as they gather about the fires, laughing and talking. At _least they are in high spirits_, he thinks.

The plan must be altered. Azula is no longer the key to the throne. Lao had not foreseen her marriage to the Avatar and it throws an unpleasant wrench in the works. Before the Avatar would have little reason to become involved in an internal problem. He is after all only meant to maintain balance and a play for the throne by a rightful challenger is hardly upsetting to the balance of the world. Now though it is a very personal issue to the Air Bender and leaves Lao feeling unsettled.

From what information he has gleamed about Avatar Aang, the man seems to be very peaceful and abhors the idea of killing. He doesn't even eat meat. Lao would dismiss him as weak but this is the same man that at twelve took Ozai down and stripped him of his bending. He is a most unlikely partner for the fiery Princess. However, Azula seems quite taken with him which only tells Lao there is more to the Avatar than what he has seen.

The city of Ga Nai is all but lost. The Fire Lord's troops have surrounded the city and cut off contact. Fortunately, Lao planned ahead for this and the bulk of his forces were moved to the jungles. He has a hundred soldiers at his command and every one of them loyal to the end. The city itself was inconsequential anyway.

"Lieutenant," Lao calls to his second in command, "Tell the men that tomorrow we will move farther into the jungle. The Fire Lord will be looking for us and we must put as much distance between him and us as possible."

With a quick bow, the lieutenant is gone, leaving Lao to contemplate his next move.

oOoOoOoO

The light of the full moon casts a silver glow on the water. Aang feels compelled to bend but there is nothing peaceful about it. The twists and turns of the spiraling water are more reminiscent of Fire Bending than Water Bending.

Azula is in his thoughts more than he would like, not that he is losing any affection for her, far from it. It just reminds him of how she isn't here with him now and of her betrayal.

He knows she was right to do so, just like Iroh and Katara were right to try to dissuade him from confronting Lao. Aang can't let this go though and he can't imagine any punishment Zuko could come up with would quench this desire he has for vengeance.

Aang misses Gyatso at times like this. The old monk would have something deep and poignant to say about it. He always did have a way of helping Aang to understand the situation better. It is another weight of regret that he left the Air Temple as soon as he did; there was so much more to life Gyatso could have taught him about, including how to handle these deeper emotions. Romantic love was rarely spoken about amongst the Air Nomads, at least not to a twelve year old Avatar.

The Guru's words about releasing earthly attachments were about as close as it came and even then Aang balked at the idea. That did not end well for him. Aang lets the winding spiral of water drop back into the lake as he reflects on his failure at Ba Sing Se.

"Is this how you thought things would turn out?" he turns his attention to the moon spirit hovering just behind him. Aang doesn't really expect her to answer. In all this time, Yue has never once spoken to him.

A small smile plays on Yue's lips. "You were too lonely, Avatar."

Aang stares at her in surprise.

Yue shrugs as she explains. "I never had anything important to say before."

Aang shakes his head as he looks away from her. "So you manipulated Azula and me." He has not forgotten her part in this. Ember Island burns fresh in his memories.

The moon spirit laughs. "Manipulate? I only gave you both the push you needed. For two warriors you are both rather timid when it comes to these things. Can you say you regret it?"

"No," He answers softly.

Yue continues, "However, I have to say I am rather concerned by this turn of events. Your desire for revenge will not end well."

Aang lets out a ragged breath. "What am I suppose to do? Just let him get away with it?"

Her smile is gentle. "Of course not, but is revenge worth what it will cost you?"

It isn't the first time this question has been put to him.

"That's assuming that it won't be worth the price." He replies quietly.

Yue tilts her head at him. "The price is higher than you think, Avatar."

oOoOoOoO

"Are you sure about this?" Azula growls impatiently.

"Back off, Princess." Toph snaps. "I don't see you helping."

Zuko cuts off Azula's retort. "Enough!"

Azula growls and walks away from the crouching Earth Bender. Zuko's golden eyes watch her warily. His sister is more temperamental than usual.

In a softer voice, he asks Toph, "Are you sure they're heading this way?" There have been chasing ground shadows for days.

Toph scowls. "Look, Sparky, this isn't as easy as it seems!" Her frustration is bubbling to the surface. "Just leave me alone for a bit and see what I can come up with, okay?"

Zuko sighs and runs a hand through his hair and walks towards camp. "Fine."

Katara and Sokka watch his approach from their place by the fire with curiosity.

"Where's Azula?" He asks looking from one to the other.

Sokka shrugs and nods over his shoulder. "She disappeared that way."

Zuko peers over the man's shoulder into the darkened jungle. He could go after her but Azula is best left alone right now, instead he sits by the fire.

It's been days since leaving the palace and neither Aang nor Lao have been found.

"What happens if we don't find them in time?" Katara asks quietly, blue eyes filled with concern.

Sokka pushes a stick into the fire. "Let's just hope we do."

oOoOoOoO

Toph sinks her feet deeper into the wet soil. The rainy season makes tracking underground movement difficult but Toph does not give up easy.

The whole situation is surreal. Never would Toph have seen someone like Twinkletoes with someone like Princess, not even if she were to look beyond the whole lightening strike and dying thing. Still she knows Aang is not one to take something like this lightly and he genuinely is serious about Azula. It is even more surprising that Azula is just as serious, but Toph keeps waiting for something to happen. Azula is not one to be trusted.

She wiggles her toes feeling the mud mush around her feet. The vibrations are slight but familiar. A grin appears on her face. "Twinkletoes, there you are."

oOoOoOoO

The cave system is damp and musty. Fortunately for an Air Bender this is not a problem and neither is the lack of illumination. The small fires in the distance give away their position. He stays back though, watching. There are more soldiers than before. Lao must have gathered his remaining forces and is now trying to elude Zuko.

More soldiers mean more potential innocent victims. More blood on his hands. There is only one person's blood he seeks now.

He knows he should listen to the others. Roku even weighed in and it has left Aang feeling like a small child being chided. The thirst for vengeance goes against everything the monks ever taught him. It's wrong and he knows it's wrong. Still he doesn't feel this is something that he can let go.

The first soldiers that see him stare up at him in surprise. The fireballs that form in their hands are just as quickly extinguished with a gust of wind.

"I have no quarrel with you. I am here for Lao." When his calm request is met with blank stares, he adds, "Take me to him."

The cave systems are a welcome sight. Lao and his men have used them to evade the Fire Lord before and will do so again. A number of the passages had been collapsed by Earth Benders but the cave system is extensive enough to allow careful travel to the other side of the islands.

The low light of the fires casts an eerie glow on the walls. Shadows move in the near darkness and conversation is kept to a minimum. His soldiers are exhausted from the hiding and meager rations.

It isn't until the flaring of the small fires and torches that line the cavern burn brighter that Lao is aware they are no longer alone.

Feeling compelled to stand, Lao eyes the Avatar carefully. A group of soldiers stand behind the Air Bender and the other soldiers are on their feet looking cautiously at the new arrival.

"Avatar Aang, welcome to our camp." Lao opts for the jovial approach. Casting a curious glance around, he asks, "Where is that lovely wife of yours?"

Cold steel eyes stare him down but the Avatar doesn't take the bait, instead he addresses the soldiers. "I am not here on behalf of the Fire Nation so as far as I am concerned you are free to go. However, if you decide to fight for Commander Lao then a fight you shall have. I leave the choice up to you."

Lao draws a deep breath as he watches his troops shift back and forth speaking in low tones. When none of them turn away, he speaks. "It would seem, Avatar, that they are loyal to me."

From the look in the Avatar's eyes, Lao can see the man expected as much. Soldiers do not rebel and stick with a Commander through failure and defeat only to turn away at a threat. If anything, Lao has the ability to inspire devotion.

Gray eyes search the ceiling of the cave. "That is their choice to make. However, Fire Lord Zuko isn't far away and he does not look kindly upon traitors."

Mention of the Fire Lord, draws concerned whispers from the soldiers.

"Then perhaps we should get this over with so we can make our escape before he arrives." Lao's grin is about half for show.

The Avatar's smile is genuine. "Agreed."

oOoOoOoO

The rumbling crash reaches Toph's feet before it reaches her ears. She throws up a wall of earth to deflect the collapsing rock from the others.

Shrieks and yells echo in the small space but the Earth Bender focuses all her strength against the overwhelming energy pushing against the wall.

"What's going on?" Zuko demands as he coughs around the dust in the air.

Toph grits her teeth as beads of sweat dampen her forehead. "Twinkletoes." She grunts in effort.

The explanation is enough and the Fire Lord throws a concerned glance at his sister. Azula's golden eyes give nothing away.

Sokka speaks through the cloth of his tunic he has pulled over his mouth to filter out the dust. "Did he collapse the cave?"

Katara sputters beside him, wiping her eyes free of dirt.

Toph shakes her head, as she puts her hands on the rock and reaches deep. "No, I can get through." She doesn't add that Aang has cut off all escape routes from the caves effectively trapping anyone that is not an Earth Bender inside. From the vibrations in the ground, it is clear there is one huge fight going on not far away.

Digging her feet into the dirt, Toph pushes at the rock and feels it groan under her control as it shifts and moves out of the way. It takes a considerable amount of effort but soon Toph is tunneling through the rock. The others rush to keep up with her and with a final quick push the rock wall gives and they stumble into the wide cavern.

It is a step into hell itself.

_**Next Chapter: **_

_**Azula's never seen the Avatar State, not like this. As she looks up at the white glow, she knows that even her most effective lightening strike would be meaningless. **_

"_**He may very well kill us if we get too close." Zuko warns over the rushing winds.**_


	19. Chapter 19

Toph throws another rock wall up to shield them from the intense heat. Flames and fireballs fill the air as troops hidden behind various rock formations shoot at the sphere of air filling the center of the chamber.

Peering around the side, Katara's heart drops at the sight of glowing eyes and arrows. "This isn't good." She says to Sokka. He nods in grim agreement.

Zuko looks to his sister. The fascination in her eyes as she watches the scene unfold leaves him feeling unsettled. "Azula?"

She doesn't answer but does raise an eyebrow without looking at him.

"We have to stop him." His voice drops to a lower tone as he steps closer to her.

"You do that." Toph bites out as she turns her attention to the volleys of fireballs. There is no escape save the passage they just came through. The more paths out of the caves will mean the fewer people in the line of fire. It's too dangerous to try to get to each collapsed passageway individually so she plants her feet wide and reaches deep into the rock beneath. "I'll see about getting the rest of us out of here alive."

OoOoOo

Lao ducks behind a large rock formation. The searing heat burns his skin. The air is blazing as his troops fight against their opponent. Things are not going well. The torrent of fire is ineffective at best as they bounce off the swirling winds. The escape routes are blocked leaving Lao feeling like a rat on a sinking ship. He had not expected the Avatar to be so formidable especially as more and more of his troops are pushed out into the open when the rocks they are hiding behind are blasted away.

The loud rumble of earth crashing draws his eyes to the passageway not too far off. A sudden wall of rock obscures his view but not before he lays eyes on the one woman he would know anywhere in the world.

He watches as Azula and her brother make their way around the rock wall, staying low and deflecting errant blasts that come too close. It is clear their path will take them to the Avatar. Two figures in blue make their way around the other side seeking a safe path through the battlefield. It leaves one blind girl guarding the only exit out of here. It draws a grin to Lao's face as he makes his way along the wall towards her.

oOoOoOoO

Azula's never seen the Avatar State, not like this. As she looks up at the white glow, she knows that even her most effective lightening strike would be meaningless.

"He may very well kill us if we get too close." Zuko warns over the rushing winds.

She nods understanding his meaning. Aang isn't in control of this right now. "All the more reason I have to get closer." Azula isn't sure what to do if they manage this task. She is operating without a plan. It's not a comforting thing.

oOoOoOoO

So focused is Toph on connecting with the fallen rocks that she nearly misses the panicking heartbeat that draws closer to her. Lao is only someone she has come across before and then he was calm and collected. Calm and collected that is until Aang went all overprotective on him at Sparky's. She can tell what he is up to as he slowly inches his way towards her but Toph isn't ready to let him out yet. With a flick of her wrist she creates a large barrier between her and him. The spike in the man's frustration level makes her laugh before she turns her attention back towards opening escape routes for the others.

oOoOoOoO

Katara carefully picks her way through the cavern with Sokka close behind. Using waterwhips she blocks the fireballs that are flying dangerously out of control around them. The soldiers are getting desperate and she can see it in their eyes. As they near one of the collapsed passageways, the rock suddenly shifts and recedes into the walls revealing a tunnel out.

They see the wariness in the eyes of the men and women as they steal glances at the escape route while dodging fire.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" Sokka yells over the crackle of fire and whooshing of wind.

It takes about one second for the decision to be made and the small group of soldiers abandons their post and make for the exit.

It will be a pattern repeated many times over before this battle is through.

oOoOoOoO

Azula pushes back against the strands of hair that have come loose and are flying freely in the wind currents. She and Zuko have managed to get close to Aang but there is little indication that he has noticed them. The sphere of air still blocks them and the winds are strong making finding a purchase difficult on the rocky surface.

Around the edges of the cavern, the tunnels begin to open up again and the soldiers take advantage of the opportunity to escape a battle they are sure to lose. The ones that hesitate are encouraged along by Katara and Sokka or perhaps it is the rocks that are beginning to shake loose from the ceiling and crash on the floor below. Either way, Lao's troops begin to route.

The cavern is beginning to destabilize from the air and fire that erode it. A loud crack from above draws Zuko's eye. He launches himself at Azula and knocks them both out of the way as a large stalactite dislodges breaking free and dropping straight down where they were.

With a growl Azula is on her feet and stalking forward. Standing just outside the wall of wind, she glares at the white glowing eyes that stare back. She isn't sure how to get through the barrier between them so she stares him down, hoping he will show some sign that he notices her.

Dust and small rocks begin to rain down from the ceiling and she turns her head, ducking it. One glowing tattooed hand shoots out and grabs her wrist before pulling her inside the sphere.

oOoOoOoO

It's over. Lao can see it in the dejected faces of his troops as they flee. The errant shots that filled the air have ceased. In the center of the cavern he can see the Fire Lord and the Princess standing outside the Avatar's swirling field of air. When the Princess disappears into the globe, Lao realizes his time is more limited than he thought.

With a renewed determination he looks for the nearest escape and begins to make his way to it, trying to not draw attention to himself. It is wishful thinking but Lao is a man whose dreams always exceeded his abilities.

Carefully, he edges closer to one of the tunnels. It is best to retreat and come up with a new plan.

OoOoOoO

Inside the winds are gentler and the air is cooler.

"Aang, you have to stop this."

Silence.

Licking her lips, Azula looks where Zuko stands beyond the translucent wall of air throwing concerned glances at her while avoiding parts of the rock ceiling that are breaking apart.

Experimentally she tugs at the hand encircling her wrist. His grip is firm though not overbearing so she takes a chance and steps closer to him gently resting one hand on his face.

"Aang." She whispers against his lips.

His answer is to close the short distance between them.

As she sighs into the kiss, his other hand slides up her arm and around the back of her neck holding her close. Giving into the sensation, Azula runs her hand up the silk of his robes against his chest.

Zuko knows what sort of relationship his sister has with his friend. They are after all married with a baby. However, that doesn't mean that he wants to see evidence of it. With a huff, Zuko turns away from the sight and casts a glance around the cavern. It is the slight movement of rock shifting that catches his eye as Lao makes his way to one of the tunnels.

When the rushing sound of wind goes silent behind him, Zuko knows the Avatar has taken notice as well.

Later Zuko will have regrets and swear to deal with rebellions in a swift and decisive manner rather than let it draw out like this but for now all he can do is rush to follow Azula as she runs hot on the heels of one very angry Avatar.

_**Author's Note: This one isn't as long because I am not a fan of writing fight scenes. However, this story made it a necessary evil for me which is also why updating took so long. **_

_**Next Chapter:**_

"_**By all rights I should kill you where you sit." **_

_**Aang's eyes snap open at the cold familiar voice. Eyes of molten gold stare him down. **_

_**He has played this moment in his head a thousand times. Swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat, he manages to say her name. **_

_**Raising her chin slightly Azula glares at him with her hands on her hips. "At least stand and give me a moving target."**_


	20. Chapter 20

Some memories burn hotter than others. It is the best explanation Azula has ever been able to come up with for the searing pain she feels when her mind drifts to the past. The rational part of her mind says she can't change this and to just accept it. Azula likes logic. It is cool, controlled. There is something soothing about the detachment it brings and the order it creates.

There is nothing soothing about the loss she feels now.

Even now lying in bed with her tiny son beside her she feels unrest. His soft breath sounds fill the air and there is a certain peace that comes from hearing it. He is happy and safe. She has done her part as a good mother and kept him that way but the part of her that is still Ozai's daughter wonders when he will begin to hate her for what she has cost him.

Zuko has been very supportive. It is rather surprising given their history and she has come to see the value in his words.

_Don't rush things. Give it time_.

They are mere platitudes but they carry a powerful weight with them that brings a sense of peace, as if she needs to be reminded that this is out of her hands right now.

Uncle Iroh has been helpful as well. She leans on him perhaps more than she should. He has been there for her when she was at her lowest. Iroh is the father she never had and could never have had. He nods quietly and listens with patience as she lets loose the pent up thoughts and feelings she carries. Azula doesn't dare voice this to anyone but Iroh and Zuko.

It's not as if the others treat her with any reservation. On the contrary they are warm and friendly, seeking to help and be useful but they are _his_ friends. Zuko and Iroh belong to her. It is the same blood in their veins and the same golden eyes they share.

Gray eyes haunt her at night and she can't quite seem to be free of them. The same gray that smiled with laughter and smoldered with passion also flashed with a brilliant white rage. It was a white that was so hot it burned everything in its path.

He didn't mean for it to burn her as well. In war it is called collateral damage. It's a nice term that puts distance but makes little apology. It is the victim's fault for suffering. The victim should never have been there in the first place.

Azula shakes her head clearing the thoughts from her mind. She will not pity herself. A princess does not have a pity party.

With a sigh she pushes the covers off and gently slips out of bed leaving the baby Air Bender cocooned in the warmth. It is unseasonably cool in the Fire Nation tonight and, as she wraps her robe around her, she steps onto the balcony. When she can't sleep at night, she finds a measure of solace listening to the nighttime sounds of the palace. It is never quiet but it can be peaceful and distracting.

Four weeks. It has been four weeks since she has seen Aang and even then his words were cold and harsh. Azula isn't even sure how she made it out of the underground cavern. Zuko must have led her out. She vaguely recalls how the Fire Lord's hand had blazed against her own as he kept his anger barely in check.

The satisfied look Aang had on his face stands out in her mind. The dust had yet to settle from the collapsed tunnel before he delivered his final clipped words to her.

_Now it's over_.

Azula draws a deep breath feeling the cold air fill her lungs. It _was_ over.

It wasn't the dust in the cavern that had caused tears to form in her eyes that day. Azula rarely cries but she certainly wasn't mourning the man that had just been unceremoniously crushed beneath the rock. She was mourning the loss of the man that stood right beside her.

It had been desperation, Azula decided, that caused her to put voice to thoughts she had kept to herself in a last ditch effort to change his mind as she chased after him towards Lao.

_This is what Ozai would have done. I won't be with a man like that._

Azula knew she had lost when gray turned to white and one tattooed hand reached out and ended it all.

Revenge was what the Avatar sought and revenge was what the Avatar found.

The soft click of the door behind her should concern her more than it does but the familiar footsteps are more comforting than she will ever admit to.

"Don't you sleep anymore, Princess?" Toph asks lightly as she drops to a sitting position beside her.

Azula doesn't bother looking at the blind girl. "Don't you ever knock?"

The Earth Bender snorts. "You knew I was coming. I knew I was coming. Where is the surprise?"

Azula lets a small smile grace her face. The woman's absolute bluntness is refreshing.

"You know you're going about this all wrong." Toph always jumps right in.

Azula smolders. This is not something she wants to talk about night after sleepless night. "Should I be flattered that you give so much thought to my marriage?"

Toph smiles at her attempt at humor. "Flattered? Never. Don't think I'm doing it for you, Princess." With a raised hand, she adds, "I'm not doing it for Twinkletoes either."

Smoke curls from Azula's lips. Earth Benders are stubborn at best. "Then whom are you doing this for?"

Toph jerks a thumb behind them towards the darkened room. "For baby bender back there. You and Aang both need to stop being wusses about this and just get over it."

Azula huffs. Toph is right. Of course she is right. That doesn't mean that the woman needs to be so irritating about it. "Say I did 'get over it' as you put it, what if he doesn't?" Aang did after all turn his back on her and everyone else when he walked out of that cavern and out of their lives. "Four weeks and not a single word and I know Zuko has been writing to him." The Fire Lord has sent messenger hawks all over the world attempting to reach the errant Avatar. It has been a frustrating silence.

"Sparky is getting pretty ticked." Toph agrees.

The tone and wording of each subsequent letter has become more harsh and demanding. Azula wonders if Zuko has began with the threats. He has not taken the abandonment of his sister and nephew well.

"Aang hasn't left for good." Toph continues as if reading her thoughts. "He just has to do what he always does and go have a good sulk about it. Most likely he's holed up in the Southern Air Temple meditating or doing whatever it is monks do when they know they screwed up royally."

Azula has considered this. "He should come to me. I'm the one he left."

Toph groans. "It isn't about you. Don't you get that?"

She bristles at this. It's not as if this is a new conversation between the two of them. It isn't about her and Azula knows that. This is about Aang and him realizing he went too far but doing what he always does and reveling in his misery.

"However," Toph continues with that air of superiority that only an aristocrat could have, "You as the good wife should go and make nice."

Azula throws a glare at her.

Toph smiles again. "Or at the very least go do your Princess thing and kick him around a bit until he admits he was wrong."

That is more like it.

"What if I don't want to make nice or kick him around?" Azula muses. She should just leave the Air Bender to his sulking if he thinks he can turn his back on her.

Toph isn't buying it. "Yeah, Princess, you don't think I can't feel you crying when you think no one else knows? You miss him, just admit it."

Azula blinks suddenly moist eyes as she turns her head. The devil is in the details.

Ooooo

The cost was too high. Yue warned him. Iroh warned him. Even Guru Pathrik warned him.

Aang knows this with every fiber of his being and yet he isn't sure how he could have changed the outcome.

He wanted Lao's blood. He wanted the man dead. Aang got what he wanted.

The wild fluttering heartbeat had reverberated through the rock until it quieted and stilled. He could feel it with his Earth Bending.

The pain and horror was in Azula's eyes but he didn't dare look at her for long. So he did what he always does and that is to avoid and evade. He avoided and evaded himself right back to his childhood home.

A day doesn't go by that he isn't tempted to head right back to the Fire Nation and demand she take him back. Aang knows he would beg.

Azula may incinerate him on the spot and if she doesn't then he is reasonably certain that Zuko would. The daily influx of messages from the Fire Lord demanding his return have become a source of dread for Aang as each one has become more and more hostile. He always considered Zuko the nice one in the family but the letters remind him of just whose family tree he came from.

Still, Zuko has a point. Aang has responsibilities, not only to Azula but to their son. There is only one Master Air Bender and every boy needs a father. At least this is a point that Sokka and Katara have made in their letters which aren't as frequent or hostile. They add to the weight of guilt he feels. Azula has yet to write a single letter. A part of him worries that she may not want him back.

The courtyard of the Southern Air Temple is quiet and peaceful. A gentle breeze shakes the leaves in the trees as the sun shines warmly onto the stone pathways. Aang seeks the solace of mediation in his favorite part of the temple.

Her steps are light. She has been trained in the art of stealth for most of her life and her delicate footfalls allow her to draw close to her quarry.

"By all rights I should kill you where you sit."

Aang's eyes snap open at the cold familiar voice. Eyes of molten gold stare him down.

He has played this moment in his head a thousand times. Swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat, he manages to say her name.

Raising her chin slightly, Azula glares at him with her hands on her hips. "At least stand and give me a moving target."

With a bit of Air Bending he rises to his feet but doesn't look away from her. The gentle breeze picks up rustling the leaves in the trees as they stare at one another.

She tilts her head. "Either say something or start running."

"Azula, I'm sorry."

Simple. To the point.

Azula hisses as her eyes blaze with anger. "For what exactly?"

Aang resists the urge to step back from her. "For leaving. For killing Lao. For all of it."

The fire in Azula's eyes simmers before she looks away from him. Iroh had counseled her to listen more than she speaks and it is taking every bit of her considerable self-control to not let loose with a tirade. She draws deep breaths seeking calm and the urge to unleash a barrage of blue flames fades.

"I shouldn't have left." Aang adds softly as he steps closer to her. It's a risky move and he can feel the heat rolling off her body in waves. One hand slides around the slope of her neck while the other around her waist.

Azula lets him pull her close. She's mad there is no doubt about that. It's not something she will let go of anytime soon but this wasn't about her. His skin is cool against hers and it soothes some of the hurt she feels.

Aang lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding when he feels her body melt against his. He expected her to lash out at him and go on the attack. He would have let her. Deciding to push it a bit, he kisses the side of her neck and is rewarded when her arms slide around him, pulling them closer.

Azula is still angry though and he feels it when she turns her head and kisses him. Sharp teeth bite down harder than necessary and even sharper nails dig into his back. The feral look in her eyes tells him that he still has to earn her forgiveness. He realizes it will be a long road from the way she effortlessly drops him onto the grass below and straddles his waist.

As her hands begin to divest him of clothing, she says, "I'm still mad."

Aang smiles and sits up wrapping his arms around her. "I will make this better, Azula. I promise."

Her red lips draw into a smirk. "That you will, Avatar."

Ooooo

Even asleep Azula exudes an aura of anger. It would be fascinating if he weren't the object of her wrath. Aang watches her while she sleeps in their bed. The Fire Bender had been aggressive and demanding. Aang was only too happy to comply. Gently he raises her arm off his chest as he starts to slip out of bed.

Pointed nails dig into his chest. "Where are you going?" She glares at him through slitted eyes.

Azula is loath to let him out of her sight. Aang can understand this so he covers her hand with his own, easing the sharp tips out of his skin and leans over to kiss her.

"Are you hungry?"

Their reunion caused them to both miss dinner. She gives a brisk nod and lets him slip free from her grasp. As he pulls on his robe, she eyes him warily as if she expects that at any moment he will disappear.

"I'll be right back." Aang says as he leans over her again with a kiss.

He feels her eyes on him as he leaves the room.

There isn't much at the temple to eat but he collects an array of fruits that will at least get them through the night. Tomorrow, he expects, they will return to Caldera. Briefly he ponders what sort of greeting Zuko will give him.

When he returns to the bedroom she is out of bed picking through the letters scattered on the desk. Setting the tray down, he eyes her naked form as he moves to stand behind her. She ignores the questing hands on her stomach and the lips on her neck as she reads a letter written in familiar handwriting.

"Zuko didn't hold back did he?" Azula muses with a smile as she reads one of the many angry letters sent by her brother.

Aang lifts his head from her neck to glance at the words. "That's one of the nicer ones." He says before moving her hair out of the way to work along the other side of her throat.

Azula gives a hum as she drops the paper back onto the pile. "You should have heard what he didn't write." The unspoken threats hang in the air as she arches back against him.

It won't be easy but since when has anything been easy for him. Azula lets him pull her back to bed and under the covers. At least he is winning her over. Zuko may be a different story.

Afterward, she lays nestled against him as the night air is filled with the sound of crickets and chattering of lemurs. Aang lays behind her, drowsy and satisfied.

"Lao isn't dead."

The words have him instantly awake and sitting up. "What do you mean?"

She rolls onto her back and tries to decide if he is elated or disappointed by the news.

"I mean Lao is alive. You didn't manage to kill him when you collapsed that tunnel on him." Azula resists smiling at his confusion but it does give her a sense of satisfaction.

"I felt his heart stop." Aang argues. The idea he had taken a life in anger has been at the forefront of his mind. It has been one of the reasons he has been avoiding everyone.

"You felt what Toph wanted you to feel; seems the master still has one up on you, Avatar." She mocks gently.

Aang is baffled. "Toph?" If anyone could have fooled him with Earth Bending, then it would have been Toph. "How?"

Azula shrugs as she stretches over to the tray and picks an apple. "I'm not an Earth Bender."

He watches as her sharp teeth tear into the red skin and she licks her lips clear of juice. Her eyes are intent on him, watching, waiting.

Shaking his head, he lays back down. "It doesn't matter. I would have killed him anyway. I meant to kill him."

Azula rolls her eyes. "Is this some Air Bender thing or is it an Avatar thing?"

Aang frowns. "Is what?"

Slipping a leg over his waist, she settles her weight on top of him, apple in hand as she looks down at him. "This need to punish yourself. All this moping and sulking. Do you just have to find a reason to feel guilty?"

When he answers he can't keep the frustration from coming out. "I meant to kill him, Azula. That's as bad as actually doing it. There isn't a difference." Intent and action are one and the same.

Azula scoffs as she takes another bite of the apple. "It makes a big difference to Lao: Imprisonment versus crushed by rock. A very big difference."

She feels his irritation from the way his fingers dig into her hips. "It isn't a difference to me. That's what I mean."

Azula finishes her apple as they both stare at one another. Throwing the core out the window, she leans forward placing her hands on his chest to balance her weight.

"Get over it. He's not dead and you can't keep beating yourself up about it. You have a family to look after and a world to protect. We can't wait for you to stop bemoaning a mistake."

Aang closes his eyes as her apple-scented words wash over him. All his life he has made bad choices by running. It's an Air Bender thing to run. They were flighty by nature; Aang more than most. However, being the Avatar doesn't allow for ducking of responsibilities.

"I know." He admits in defeat. He can't keep hiding.

"Good. Tomorrow we should head back. I'm sure Zuko is tired of babysitting." She rolls off him and lies back in bed, pulling the covers over her naked skin.

Aang sighs in resignation. He has missed his son but he doubts his brother-in-law will be happy to see him.

"Quit sulking." Azula orders with her back to him.

Aang sighs again as he curls around the warm body of his wife and sleep claims him.

_**Author's Note: Let me reiterate that I do not like action scenes and like to just jump right past it to the angst.**_

_**Next Chapter:**_

_**Epilogue**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Too many plot bunnies and not enough time with work and all. I do apologize for the wait and make my humble offering.**_

The temple sanctuary of the Southern Air Temple is quiet. Standing just inside the entrance, Aang eyes the lifeless stone statues of his past.

"Imagine that one day a future Avatar will be standing in that very spot questioning all his or her decisions and wondering what you would have done differently and if he, or she, can live up to your legacy."

There is a teasing lilt in Azula's voice as it drifts down from her perch on the second tier of statues.

Aang gives a hesitant smile. "I doubt my legacy will be that great."

Azula answers with her trademark smirk. "You underestimate yourself, Avatar." She purrs as she steps behind the statues, obscuring her from his view. "No one else has done what you have done." Her voice echoes off the stone walls as she speaks. "You ended the greatest military campaign of the most powerful nation in the world, took the bending of one of the most powerful Fire Lords in Fire Nation history, and managed to make me domestic."

He gives a small laugh at this. "Is that what you call it?"

"Something like that." Azula answers as she weaves her way through the statues in front of him. Her eyes are alight with a familiar fire as she stops to stand in front of him. Long red nails trail down the front of his robes. "At least as domestic as I will allow."

That's what it comes down to: what Azula will give. Compromise is not a word she is familiar with. Coyly, she steps around him, feet light on the cold stone of sacred ground and he turns to watch her.

His voice stops her a few feet from the entrance. "Would you really have left me if I had killed Lao?"

_This is what Ozai would have done. I won't be with a man like that. _At the time her words had barely registered through the haze of his rage at the man that dared to take what was his. Aang's only focus at the time had been revenge.

Azula turns her head just enough that he can see her profile but her hair falls hiding her eyes from him. "Ozai had his moments." Her father had many qualities and not all of them bad. "But look at what he and my grandfathers before him did with all that power."

They waged a war lasting a century, brought the world to its knees and ended the life of an entire nation.

"It wouldn't have come to that." It couldn't have. Aang's certain of it.

She turns around at this to face him. "Do you really think this will be the last time someone threatens us?"

Aang meets her steady gaze. Avatars rarely meet a peaceful end. There is always conflict, danger, and the threat extends to friends and family. Briefly his thoughts flit to their son, safely ensconced in the Fire Nation under the Fire Lord's watchful eye. A small child is an easy target and some would have no qualms about exploiting this weakness. Closing his eyes, he can already see what lengths he would go to in order to protect his family.

"Power corrupts, Aang." Her voice is soft but manages to carry in the large space. He opens his eyes again to meet his wife's earnest look. "What would happen to the world if the Avatar became corrupt?"

Aang doesn't answer. He already knows where that road would lead.

Ooooo

Zuko's expression when Appa lands says it all. Azula happily bounds off the giant bison onto the palace grounds and eagerly sweeps the tiny bundle out of the Fire Lord's arms.

"How are things?" He asks in a low voice.

Azula shifts the baby in her arms before looking over her shoulder at her husband as he lands on the ground behind her. Aang's pace is slower and for good reason.

"Fine, fine. Go easy on him, Zuzu." She smiles as she slips around him and walks towards the palace leaving him to it.

Aang watches her retreating back before turning his attention to his friend's furious glare.

"Zuko, I shouldn't have left like I did."

Golden eyes narrow at him. "No, you shouldn't have." Zuko growls resisting the urge to really lay into Aang. "Do you even know how much you hurt her?"

Aang grimaces. "Yes. Azula and I spoke about it."

The Fire Lord shakes his head. "I don't think you understand, Aang. Azula does not deal with abandonment well."

Aang does know, perhaps better than Zuko could; Ursa's midnight disappearance, Zuko's banishment, and finally Ozai's defeat all took at toll on Azula. Aang's leaving was only the last in a long line of people walking out of her life one way or another.

The truth of it must show in his eyes because Zuko sighs in resignation. "Just promise me that you won't do that again?"

It's one of the few things Aang can be sure of. "I promise. They mean the world to me Zuko."

The Fire Lord weighs his words before nodding. As he turns towards the palace, Aang falls alongside with him.

"Azula tells me Lao is still alive."

Zuko nods. "He's already been tried and found guilty of treason." The evidence was overwhelming and Aang expected as much so he says nothing. "He is set to be executed." Zuko adds, eyeing Aang carefully as they walk inside.

Aang just smiles. "I'm going to see my son. I'll talk to you later, Zuko."

The Fire Lord watches the Avatar's retreating back. He's confident his friend won't let him down again. Aang keeps his promises.

Ooooo

Travelling tends to take its toll on Azula, especially when it is a trip as emotionally loaded as this one. The bed is large and comfortable and she sinks into the soft comforter. On her chest the tiny head of her son is pillowed and he stares at her with large gray eyes.

The bed dips with the weight of her husband as he lies down next to them.

"Everything go well with Zuko?" She murmurs sleepily.

"Yes." He answers softly as he gently picks the baby up off her chest.

She opens her eyes just enough to watch.

"He's grown." Aang observes in the same quiet voice.

The baby gurgles as tiny fingers clutch the larger ones of his father.

"They tend to do that." Her eyes drift close again.

When she wakes later, the sun is already setting. Beyond the bedroom door to the balcony she can hear Aang's voice and the answering giggles of Athyer. Rousing herself, she runs her fingers through tousled hair as she steps outside. Tiny whirlwinds fly across the tabletop and Athyer laughs as they twist and collide with one another. Aang's face is bright with laughter as well and she watches as the two Air Benders play.

When she finally takes the empty seat beside them, Aang says quietly, "I want to have more." Shyly, he looks over at her.

"I suspected as much." Azula says neutrally. "Repopulating the world with Air Bender's will take time."

A glint of mischief is in his eye as he holds his hand out to her. "Would you help me with that?"

Azula tilts her head at him, golden eyes shining in the setting sun. "You realize we may have nothing but Fire Benders after this?"

Aang smiles. "As long as it's with you."

It's a smile Azula returns.

Ooooo

The hour is late when she rises from the bed they share. Quietly, she dresses and before slipping out the door she takes one last look at the sleeping Air Benders.

Zuko is waiting for her and the Fire Lord looks as tired as she feels. "Are you sure about this?"

"It was my idea, Zuzu." She snaps at him in a whispered tone as they make their way through the darkened halls of the palace.

"Don't call me that." He corrects with the same quiet bite. "Does he know you left?"

Azula scowls at him. "You really have to ask?"

Zuko growls as he pushes the door open for her. "Do what you have to do and get out. I really do not want to have to explain this to Aang or anyone else for that matter." The metallic flash of a key shines in his hand.

Azula covers it with her own hand. "You forget whose daughter I am, Brother." With that she is gone.

Ooooo

Lao stares through the slotted windows of his prison cell. The night sky is filled with an array of twinkling stars. He has never felt so small before.

Failure wasn't an option but it was the outcome. The trial was swift, smooth and totally unnecessary. Fire Lord Zuko put him on for show as a warning to others that would challenge his rule. That treacherous viper of a sister, Azula, sat at the Fire Lord's side with a regal air about her. If the nobility really knew the truth of the woman's deviousness then it would not have been Lao on trial.

The quiet jangling of keys at his cell door grabs his attention. The door opens as a dark figure steps inside and the torches flare to life in a brilliant blue.

Lao stands and eyes the Princess curiously. "To what do I owe this honor, Your Highness?"

Azula's face is unreadable. "I have come to check on my favorite prisoner."

He isn't sure how to take this and just gapes at her.

Looking over her shoulder, she orders. "Leave us." The door closes behind her and the retreating footsteps of guards can be heard down the stone corridor. "You've caused me quite a bit of trouble, Lao." She says calmly as she steps forward to the bars of the small cage inside his cell.

"It was my duty to try to restore the Fire Nation to glory. Fire Lord Zuko is mistaken about the way things should go." Lao says as he watches her reach inside her cloak.

"Zuzu will do fine. The Fire Nation is still the most powerful nation in the world and continues to grow in influence every day. No one opposes us." Her smile is mysterious. "How could they?" In her gloved hand she holds a small key.

Lao swallows nervously as she unlocks the door to the cage. "May I ask what you are doing, Azula?"

She smiles that smile at him again. "I don't like it when people cause trouble, especially when it nearly costs me my marriage." She pulls the door open.

Lao considers her words. "I highly doubt the Avatar would have ended things with you. After all you do have a child together." He takes a step back as she enters his cage.

"True," Azula says with a lazy smile. "We plan on having more but that is beside the point. I have a promise to keep to you, Lao."

Casting about the cage he looks around as he retreats back from her advance. "What promise was that?"

"Above all things, Lao, I am my father's daughter and a princess always keeps her promises."Azula holds a hand between them, a dazzling blue flame dancing in her palm. "Give Long Feng my regards in the Spirit World."

Oooooo

If Zuko is surprised, his face doesn't show it. "Done already?"

Azula smirks. "Father taught me well, Zuzu."

The Fire Lord rolls his eyes at the nickname as he falls into step beside her. "Should I be proud that you can kill two men in cold blood in less than ten minutes?"

"You make it sound like I did a sloppy job." She admonishes as she strips off the bloodied gloves and cloak. "Trust me, Zuzu, it was done with finesse. They died honorless deaths at their own hands. Cowards until the end."

Zuko scowls. "As far as the prison doctor is concerned."

"Of course. It's always necessary to have a good man on your side." She stops outside the door to her rooms and turns to him with an earnest look in her eye. "Thank you, Zuko."

He blinks at her uncertain of what she intends. "For what?"

"For being there. You're a good brother." Soft lips brush his cheek before she disappears into the darkened rooms.

Zuko considers the now closed door and wonders just how much his sister has really changed.

Ooooooo

The bedroom is dark and quiet as she slips lithely between the sheets. Husband and son are sleeping as quietly as she left them. Settling against the pillow, Azula lets her own eyes close and she breathes a sigh of relief.

With the untimely deaths of Lao and Long Feng, the loose ends are tied up. Azula and Zuko thought it best to finish them quietly and the Fire Lord gave into her demand that she dispense with the punishment.

"It's what Ozai would have done." Aang's sleepy voice says from beside her.

Azula sighs. Keeping secrets will be difficult. "Ozai would have made a spectacle of it. I just tied up loose ends."

The bed shifts as he rolls to his side to look at her. Azula returns his steady gaze.

"You fought so hard to keep me from doing it yet you sneak out in the middle of the night and do it yourself." His voice is free of accusation but there is a quiet insistence.

Rolling to her side she mimics his posture. "The Avatar must do what is right and good. There was nothing good and right about it. Left alive they would have caused more trouble in the long run."

Silence falls as they stare at one another with the sleeping bundle of Athyer between them.

"People said the same about you."

Red lips smirk. "I never said they were wrong."

He returns the smile before sighing and letting the somber mood overtake him again. To take a life would have been to compromise his ideals. It's such a fine line to walk and dire consequences if he fails. In visions, Aang had seen what could have come from it if he had his way and actually murdered either Lao or Long Feng. A part of him thinks it's unfair that spiritually his hands are tied while Azula is free to act on these things. It is the difference between Air and Fire.

She speaks as if reading his thoughts. "There are some things you should let me handle, Aang."

Aang hesitates at this suggestion. "So you're saying I should let you do my dirty work?"

Azula smiles as she looks down at the baby between them. "Yes."

No matter how much she has changed in the years since the war there are certain innate qualities Azula possess.

"I'm not sure that would be a good thing." He answers with uncertainty. In some ways it is better that his hands are tied. Temptation is a powerful thing. Knowing what his wife is capable of concerns him. Reaching out he strokes her cheek. It's all right there at his fingertips.

Between them, Athyer begins to fuss and squirm. Azula scoops him up and silently moves through the room to the other door that leads to the Royal Nursery. The soft click of the door signals her return.

"Mai is getting less grouchy." Azula murmurs as she slips back under the covers after having delivered her hungry son.

The Fire Lady never complains but her glares say she does not appreciate the lack of sleep caring for two infants gives her.

As Azula settles her weight over him, Aang says, "Maybe next time you will have to return the favor." He smiles at his wife's scowl and shakes off the weight of their previous conversation. There will be time later to consider the road they are on.

"Next time I don't intend to be here." Her lips claim his before he can ask.

When her eager lips work their way down his jaw line to his neck, Aang tightens his arms around her and manages to say, "Where will you be?"

She smiles against his shoulder. "Wherever you are."

Aang considers this as Azula's lips and fingers burn across his skin.

**_So Lao and Long Feng got his. Azula is still her delightfully evil self and we are all one big happy family. Thank you reading and being patient._**


End file.
